


Glory Beyond Mere Biology

by lilgirlost (lil_grl_lost)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Angst, Big Bang Challenge, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mpreg, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2013-02-21
Packaged: 2017-11-30 00:12:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/693128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_grl_lost/pseuds/lilgirlost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After waking up from his seventy year sleep, Steve never expected to be told that he was carrying a tiny passenger with him... Howard Stark’s baby. Now he must deal with the emotional as well as mental fallout of carrying a dead man’s child, while trying to handle his growing attraction for his daughter’s brother, Tony Stark. </p><p>Just when Steve thinks it couldn’t get any more complicated, Stark Industries’ Board of Directors and the lawyers weigh in, making an issue out of an non-issue when it comes to Zoey's share of Stark Industries. Thus, Steve is forced to make a decision about his budding friendship with Tony as well as his living arrangements in Stark Tower. </p><p>As Steve settles into his Brooklyn apartment, a face from his old life appears, who tries to help his friend with his Stark problem. But since when are things involving a Stark (even a dead one) ever been simple, especially when Tony makes the decision to win Steve’s heart, all while playing the role of overprotective brother to unborn little sister.</p><p>If the relationship of father to son could really be reduced to biology, the whole earth would blaze with the glory of fathers and sons.  ~ James A. Baldwin</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Art for Glory Beyond Mere Biology](https://archiveofourown.org/works/692742) by [sunryder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunryder/pseuds/sunryder). 



> I wrote this for the mpreg big bang on livejournal. It started as fun then turned into a labor of love after my computer crashed in November. The art for this was made by Sunryder, who will link to this later tonight!
> 
> I'd like to thank my wonderful friend and beta Gin (ginoddduck) for her encouragement and skills. 
> 
> Enjoy.

The doctor’s words seemed to echo inside of Steve’s head long after the woman had left the room. _Pregnant_... _how can I be pregnant?_  Based on what the doctor could see, beside the obvious effects of the super-soldier serum, there had been some not so obvious side effects. One of which appeared to be a fully functional uterus, which was gestating a new human being as Steve tried to process the news. Although the doctor hadn’t asked who the other father was, Steve could tell the woman was anxious to know the answer to the unspoken question. For Steve, the answer was simple; there had been only one man he had slept with and unfortunately, he had died years before Steve was found and thawed. The loss of Howard was tragic, and that tragedy sometimes felt overwhelming when coupled with his growing feelings for Howard’s son, Tony.

While Steve didn’t see his one time with Howard Stark as a mistake, the blond wasn’t really sure what to call what had happened. As his hand drifted towards his stomach, resting there, Steve’s mind returned to how this new life had been created, which in a few short months would expand and fill with his child. It was one time following the loss of Bucky, and it would seem it was turning out to be one time that Steve would never forget. Now there was this little creature growing within him, counting on him to love, care, and protect him or her for rest of their days.

Even if his mind was coming around quickly to the idea of giving birth to another human being, it didn’t mean that S.H.I.E.L.D or the rest of the Avengers were going to have the same reaction, especially Tony Stark. This child, for all intents and purposes, would be his half-sibling and another reminder of a man he thought he could never please.

Pushing all thoughts of the potential emotional fallout that was likely to occur, Steve jumped down from the table and walked towards the door. While the serum stopped him from becoming ill from diseases, it apparently didn’t stop the fatigue and the vomiting associated with his pregnancy. As he left the medical room, Steve focused on getting back to his apartment in Brooklyn and sleeping for a few hours before he was supposed to have dinner with the rest of the team at Stark Tower. The team dinner had started as a way of ensuring Tony left his work for a couple of hours a week; plus, Pepper was kind of scary when the Avengers didn’t take Tony off her and the board of directors’ hands for a couple of hours every few weeks. Those closest to him knew that beneath his brilliance and bravado, Tony was still a kid seeking approval from someone... anyone, who would still love him through all of his screw ups, which Pepper had done until recently. One too many brushes with death was one too many for Pepper; she still loved Tony as a friend, but she had found true happiness with Happy. And Tony seemed okay with it, if the lack of an increase in his alcohol consumption was any indication.

The drive back to Brooklyn from S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters helped clear Steve’s head and settle some of the nausea he was still feeling; by the time he got back to his apartment he barely had the strength to change into a pair of pajama bottoms before falling into bed. It wasn’t until hours later did Steve awake to the tune of “Star Spangled Man,” which Tony had programmed on his phone as a joke. While the billionaire thought it was funny, it simply served as a constant reminder of those the blonde had lost. And in the light of recent events, it brought the truth home to Steve; this baby would never know its other father, a sense of loss that Steve knew acutely from his own childhood.

Grabbing the device and after a few tries of swiping at the touch screen, he finally managed to answer it. “Hello.” He asked voice, thick and gruff with sleep. The feeling of fatigue coursed through Steve’s body and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep... maybe for the entire length of his pregnancy. The nice S.H.I.E.L.D doctor had given him a rough timeframe of 30 to 32 weeks; but she couldn’t know for certain until an ultrasound was done, which Steve declined at the time.

“Rogers,” Clint Barton’s voice said on the other side of the phone. At the sound of a voice other than Stark’s, Steve couldn’t help but feel relief at not having to speak to Tony; it meant another additional second he didn’t have to interact with the man. “Stark is concocting all possible scenarios as to why you are late for dinner and movie night, because according to him, ‘Captain America’s motto is ‘punctuality if not earliness.’’”

Steve frowned at the jab. Punctuality was a sign of commitment and responsibility, his mother had taught him that. “Oh, I overslept, sorry.” Steve replied as he pulled himself out of bed. Once standing in the middle of his bedroom the blonde paused, debating whether he had time to take a shower or if that could wait until later.

“No problem, man, happens to us all. Though Tasha is getting impatient and the longer we wait, the greater the chance of Stark not surviving ‘til morning... which might not be a bad thing on second thought.” Steve could hear the humor in Clint’s voice, along with the faint sound of a muffled _hey!_ in the background, which could have only come from Stark. A smile formed on Steve’s face at the sound of family flowing across the connection that is what they were--the Avengers and Phil Coulson--a family, a sometimes dysfunctional one, yet a family nevertheless.

It was only after hearing the possibility of Tony’s imminent demise that Steve made the decision of skipping the shower. Natasha was a good person; scary nine times out of ten, but still a good person to have in your corner. Even if you were Tony Stark “I’m at my apartment in Brooklyn; I’m leaving now, Barton.”

“Sounds good, I’ll let everyone know and tell Bruce to hold dinner for you.”

“Bruce cooked?” Steve asked, grabbing another pair of jeans out of his dresser and pulling them on. As he took a quick glance in the mirror, he took in his rumpled appearance: wrinkled shirt and hair flattened to one side of his head; but he shrugged it off. The ride to Stark Tower should get rid of the worse of it. Although hearing Bruce cooked made him wish he could beg off tonight; most smells tended to set off his nausea and based on past experiences with the physicist’s ‘new age hippy food’ (Clint’s words) Steve knew his night wasn’t going to end well.

Clint laughed into the phone. “It’s nothing too bad, promise. Stark threatened to revolt and Tasha’s eyebrow starting doing that twitching thing, she swears doesn’t happen. So Bruce is making some kind of Indian food, vegetarian /non-vegetarian. Either way, the kitchen smells good and Bruce will probably Hulk-out on Stark any moment if he doesn’t get away from the kitchen door.” The archer’s voice rose on the last part of his statement, letting Stark know he was fooling no one. “Now hurry your ass up, Cap. Or Phil won’t love you anymore. He looks ready to tase Stark. Personally, I’m all for it, but Pepper will be upset if we give him back broken.”

Steve smiled at the joke, “I thought you’d be happy to not have to share Coulson’s love with me anymore.”

“Nah, Cap. I’ve got to have someone to distract him with when I piss him off and I’m happy to say, that person is you, ‘cause Tasha is on to me.”

“Thanks, Barton.” Steve deadpanned before snagging his keys and walking out his front door. “I’m headed out now, don’t hold dinner for me.”

“You sure, Cap?”

“Yeah, traffic’s hell,” Steve explained while he walked. “So I’ll eat during the movie or something.”

“All right, man. See you in a bit.” Clint said before ending their phone connection. Steve tucked his phone into his jacket pocket as he left his apartment building. The drive from S.H.I.E.L.D to his apartment had taken him almost an hour and Steve knew the drive back to midtown Manhattan would be just as long.

***

It was during the stop-and-go traffic back to midtown that Steve did a lot of thinking, especially about how he was going to tell Stark and the team about the baby. The doctor said she could only wait so long before having to report this development to Director Fury. Steve told her, he understood, but asked for a little time to tell his team. Even though he didn’t know how to broach the subject with any of them, Stark was the first on his list.

Forty-eight minutes after his call ended with Clint, Steve finally pulled into the underground garage beneath Stark Tower, which in addition to being the base of operations for Stark Industries in New York City, doubled as the home of the Avengers Initiative, with each member having their own floor. Fury had originally been a little apprehensive with the idea, but he quickly saw the merit of it (read: Maria Hill’s prodding) of housing them all in one place.

Once Steve reached the common area level of the Avengers’ set of floors, he was met by Agent Phil Coulson, standing at the elevator bay waiting. The older man managed a small smile before Clint appeared, dragging him back towards the living room. As it turned out, Agent Coulson had survived Loki’s attack; the only downside was Clint and the rest of the team hadn’t known until almost three weeks later, when they appeared on the doorstep of the agent’s daughter (the Portland-based cellist). While the rest of them had left, Clint stayed on in Maine until Phil could travel. Unfortunately for Phil, his return to New York City had meant a room in Stark Tower and the overprotective mothering of his field agent-slash-husband (nobody had seen that one coming). Stark had a field day with that bit of information before Tasha punched him in the arm.

Steve waited until the couple returned to the kitchen area before following. It was only then did Steve’s nose pick up the spicy aroma of Bruce’s Indian food. Normally Steve enjoyed the cuisine, but it would seem his nausea had other ideas. The super soldier quickly bolted for the nearest bathroom before his meager lunch made reappearance on Stark’s nice tiled floor.

Unbeknownst to Steve, Tony Stark had just left the kitchen when he saw the blonde flee. Usually, Tony wouldn’t bother with trying to feel concern for other people, unless it was Pepper or Rhodey. And Tony had learned over the years not to cross her under pain of death; he might be Iron Man, but she had the power to castrate him with a single look--her budding BFF status with Natasha didn’t help the situation. Did Tony happen to mention she was just as scary as Pepper... probably even more so... with her being a highly skilled assassin and all.

Tony followed after Steve as close as he dared; Tony knew Steve had his pride and he definitely didn’t want to spook the blonde, otherwise Steve wouldn’t allow Tony to help. And considering how green the super soldier was looking, Tony figured Steve would need some kind of assistance; he just wasn’t sure what though. “Cap, you okay? Do you need JARVIS to do anything for you?”

The bathroom fell quiet briefly before a weak voice echoed back to Tony. “No, I’m fine. Just give me a minute.”

“Okay, Cap,” Tony replied, shifting lightly back and forth on his feet as he waited for Steve to emerge. As he checked his watch, waiting for the minute to pass, Tony heard the sound of retching through the bathroom door and decided to give the blonde a moment longer before opening the door and entering. The sight of Steve draped over the toilet made the billionaire’s heart clench; Tony had never been privy to a less than stellar looking Steve Rogers--even post battle, when the man’s eyes were bright and his skin flushed with excitement and adrenaline in spite of the dirt or blood covering his skin. However Steve resembled the walking dead at this particular moment. Grabbing a washcloth and wetting it, Tony crouched down into Steve’s personal space. “Here, Cap, let me put this on your neck. It might help you feel better.”

Steve groaned softly as the cold cloth pressed against his heated neck. The last couple weeks had been hellish; he never knew when the _morning sickness_ would happen or what would bring it on. A bout of morning sickness had woken Steve up in the early hours of the morning, so he hoped that his queasiness was finished for the day, guess he was wrong. “Thanks, Stark.”

“Call me, Tony, Cap.” Tony replied, rubbing Steve’s back in sympathy at his plight, “I thought the super-soldier formula was supposed to enhance your healing abilities and stop you from becoming ill.”

“It is,” Steve whispered before taking a deep breathe through his mouth, trying to stop the acidic smell from traveling into his nose and setting off another round of heaving.

Tony frowned at the response, unsure of how to proceed; he had no experience with sick people, adult or not. As a child, the times he was ill were left in the capable hands of JARVIS’ namesake, Edwin Jarvis; with barely a thought from his mother, except for a faint kiss on his feverish brow on her way out of the door with Howard.

By the time he arrived, Edwin Jarvis had been employed with the Starks for some years; and Tony had loved the older man. He had shown Tony all the patience and love that Howard couldn’t be bothered to give to the small child.

Unfortunately, everything changed while Tony was MIT. Due to his mother’s ailing health, Jarvis left the Stark’s employ and returned to his native England to care for her. It was only after her death and the later deaths of Maria and Howard Stark did Edwin decide it was time to return to Tony, hoping his presence would help ground the angry twenty-one year old, and stop Obadiah Stane from sinking his claws into the young man. Unfortunately the damage had been done, Tony took his leaving as abandonment… marking the young boy as worthless and unimportant to Edwin. The final blow came almost eight years ago when Tony was least expecting it, a simple phone call informing that Edwin Jarvis had passed away in his sleep, leaving all his worldly possession to his former charge. It was the elderly butler’s death, which sparked the creation of JARVIS, Tony’s way of honoring his former caregiver and friend.

“Do you still feel sick, Cap?” Tony asked, not wanting to move the other man until he said it was okay.

Steve faintly shook his head side to side in reply, only because he was worried if he opened his mouth, he’d start vomiting again. Tony titled his head down in understanding before rising to his feet, grabbing a bath towel from the nearby rack. He set it on the rim of the bathtub before slowly easing Steve away from the toilet and towards it. Once the blonde’s head was settled on it, Tony flushed the toilet before crossing to the sink and wetting another washcloth for Steve’s forehead. After the cloth was on Steve’s clammy forehead, Tony settled at his feet, content in simply watching the other man breathe.

“You doing okay, Cap?”

Steve managed a half-smile. “I’ll be okay. The doctor said it’ll pass in a few weeks.”

“Is it related to our last mission?” Tony questioned, needing to know all the facts. They were a team and if something affected one of them, then it affected all of them.

“No. It’s from before,” Steve said, knowing that he didn’t need to spell out what _before_ meant to the genius. Everyone close to Steve knew he divided his life into two parts: _before_ and _after_ the ice.

“HYDRA?”

“Not exactly,” Steve sighed, hating the next part that was coming... the truth.

“What does that mean?” Tony asked, “It either is or it isn’t.” The billionaire’s tone was firm; he wanted answers, not ambiguous statements.

“I’ll be fine in about seven to eight months, depending...” Steve said letting his statement trail off at the end. Normally Steve wasn’t a coward when it came to speaking his mind; but this pregnancy, this baby was a completely different matter.

“Depending on what?”

“Depending on how many weeks I’m already pregnant.” Steve murmured, unable to look at Tony when he spoke the words.

Upon hearing the words, Tony’s whole body jerked back in shock, sending him backwards onto his ass at Steve’s feet. “JARVIS, repeat with Cap just said!”

“Captain Rogers said pregnant, sir. And based on my own scans, he is telling the truth, sir. Captain Rogers is approximately--”

“Thank you, JARVIS.” Steve said, interrupting the AI before he could tell how far along he was; Steve wanted to wait and find out from the first ultrasound.

“But you’re a man. At least you look like a man, unless you got something kinky going on, Cap.” Tony joked as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“I’m a man, Tony.” Steve supplied lifting his head for the first time to look the other man in the eye, “the doctor believes a functioning uterus was an unforeseen side effect of the serum.”

Though Steve answered all of the billionaire’s questions, Tony still hadn’t asked the one question which Steve was scared of him asking: the identity of the baby’s other father. The super soldier had respected Howard Stark for his intelligence, his drive, and most importantly his friendship. But with Tony, Steve wanted more than friendship, he hoped for a romantic relationship; though in light of this baby, Steve knew it was impossible. The blonde knew, from this point forward, every time Tony looked in his direction, all the genius would see was Steve and Howard’s betrayal.

“So...” Tony grinned, trying to break the tension. “Who’s your baby daddy?”

Taking a deep breath, Steve braced himself mentally and emotionally for the fall out about to occur. “Howard.” And with just one word, all the air seemed to be sucked from the room. The blonde watched as an array of emotions flashed across the genius’s face before settling into anger.

“Howard! As in Howard Stark... my father... the son of a bitch, who never cared about anyone but himself and his legacy.” Tony yelled. “How the fuck did this happen? No wait, don’t answer that; I really don’t want to know.”

As Tony ranted, Steve stayed silent, eyes trained on the other man’s face as it turned redder and redder with every passing word. It was only when Steve saw a lag in Tony’s tirade did he finally speak. “I had just lost my best friend, and your dad was there. It just happened.”

Tony rolled his eyes before shaking his head. “So what you are saying, Cap, is that my dad was gay and my mom was just someone to replace you.”

“Of course not, Tony. Howard and I were friends, nothing more. While I barely understand how Howard went from the man I knew to the man you knew, I do know at the time, Howard flirted with everyone. It was just his personality; he drove Peggy and Colonel Philips crazy.” Steve explained, hoping a soft voice would help ease most of Tony’s anger.

Though the tension was visible in his shoulders, the next words out of the billionaire’s mouth were delivered in a calmer tone. “So I’m going to be a brother, uh Cap?”

“Yeah Tony, you’re going to be a brother. But only if you want to be,” Steve replied. He needed Tony to understand that he was under no obligation for his father’s act, nor was Steve looking for anything from him.

“Thanks, Cap,” and for the first time since the anger had started, Tony smiled at the other man.

“Steve.”

“All right, Steve,” Tony grinned. “Now, let’s get you off this cold floor and settled somewhere comfortable. Think you can eat a little something.”

“Toast or crackers are fine.” Steve said as Tony helped him to his feet. Without prompting, Tony wrapped his arm around the blonde’s waist and lead him out of the bathroom and back towards the living room area. When the pair arrived, their team was already settled in various spots around the room, obviously waiting for Steve and Tony to reappear from wherever it was they had disappeared to. Once Tony made sure Steve was comfy and in a prime viewing spot on the couch, he wandered into the kitchen to get the blonde some crackers and ginger ale, which Clint had taken to stockpiling in case of an oncoming apocalypse. Though in actuality, it turned out to be Phil’s drink of choice while he was recovering from his stab wound and Clint just couldn’t seem to not buy a case or two every time he left the tower.

Once he returned, Tony handed off a plate of crackers and a bottle of ginger ale to Steve before settling in beside him on the couch. The rest of their team and Phil watched their interactions before Clint decided to ask the question they were all thinking, “You okay, Cap? Or have you and Tony been replaced by pod people?”

A faint groan could be heard from Phil’s direction before a thump sounded as Natasha smacked Clint in the back of the head for his remark. Tony snickered as Clint rubbed at the spot where Natasha’s hand had landed and Steve could only smile. “I’m fine, promise. Just feeling a little off; I’ll be okay in a couple of days.”

“If you say so, Captain Rogers,” Phil said before reaching out for the remote and passing it to Bruce. Dinner and movie night had a simple routine, whoever cooked, chooses the movie. And when it was Bruce’s turn, the group could count on there being a general theme: the movie had the same place of origin as the meal he prepared. So for tonight’s viewing pleasure, everyone knew it was going to be an Indian film; the only question was… what kind of Indian film. The last time Bruce cooked; he made Korean food, unfortunately instead of a psychological thriller or even a sappy romantic comedy, they were forced to endure over 90 minutes of almost complete silence. Although the imagery was pretty, it didn’t make up for it being so mind-numbingly boring. The main characters, an elder monk and his apprentice, barely said ten words to each other during the whole film. And Tony had fallen asleep at one point, only to be awoken later by a pillow to the face--Natasha claimed she had thrown it to stop his snoring.

Fortunately for the team this time around, Bruce picked something which had a little something for everyone--romance for Thor, action for Clint and Tony, music for Phil and Natasha, and lastly the underdog-triumphing-story for Steve. Just as with any other movie night, the group passed snarky comments back and forth as the action unfolded, while Thor and sometimes Steve, asked questions about references they didn’t understand, with Phil trying to shush them every ten minutes or so. However, it wasn’t long into the film before Tony felt a slight pressure as Steve’s head connected with his shoulder. Turning his head slightly, the genius could see, in the faint glow of the television screen and his arc reactor, as the soldier’s eyes closed one last time and exhaustion pulled him under.

Instead of focusing on the film again, Tony took the opportunity to simply watch as the blonde slept. Although he still felt anger towards Steve and the situation Howard had unintentionally left behind with his death, Tony couldn’t help but feel the beginnings of jealousy at the idea of Howard once again taking something that could have been his. While there was no doubt in his mind that his mother had loved him, Tony still couldn’t shake the feeling of her having loved Howard more, which is one reason why it always seemed like she was choosing to attend Howard’s events over spending time with him. And now, the genius knew he didn’t stand a chance with Steve, simply due to the cluster of cells growing inside the blonde... another piece of Howard Stark’s legacy left to the world. Maybe this kid wouldn’t be such a screw up as Tony had been; could never achieve what his father wanted, could never be good enough for Howard Anthony Walter Stark.

When he began dating Pepper, Tony thought he was ready to put his the-child-nobody-wanted mentality behind him, and for a time he did. Regrettably, the relationship didn’t last as long as he would have liked. Although Pepper could put up with a lot of his more outrageous behavior when it came to his R&D projects, it turned out that she couldn’t handle the uncertainty of never knowing whether Tony was going to come back from a S.H.I.E.L.D mission, suit or no suit. The redhead didn’t doubt Tony’s brilliance when it came to inventing, designing, and upgrading his armor; but she still understood the risks... the Iron Man suit was only as good as the available data on its enemy. The fight with the Chitauri had proven that to her--after she had heard the highly redacted version from JARVIS. Their relationship survived for another couple of small missions before Pepper called it quits. She told Tony that she would always love him as a friend, but she wasn’t willing to spend the rest of her life worrying about whether or not he would come home to her. And all things considered, Tony took the news rather well with his workshop only suffering a little damage in the wake of their breakup, and less than three days later, the genius was back to work as though nothing had occurred.

It was only when the lights went up sometime later, did Tony realize he had spent the whole movie gazing as Steve as he slept. While it wasn’t a huge deal, one look from Bruce told him that he had been caught in the act. They hadn’t started off on the best of terms, especially when Tony made it his mission to see the other scientist Hulk-out; but eventually, they had bonded over a love of science and technology and the rest was history. Bruce became Tony’s soundboard after his breakup with Pepper, so the other man wasn’t ignorant to the fact of the growing feelings Tony was having towards their fearless leader. After being sworn to secrecy, all Bruce could do was watch as the soldier and the genius danced around each other, absolutely oblivious to what one was thinking or feeling towards the other. He would have found it comical, if it wasn’t inanely tragic at the same time. For two men who never showed any fear when faced with deadly aliens and dangerous robotic creations, they were both fearful of wearing their hearts openly on their sleeves.

Tony caught Bruce’s pointed look and waved it away with a quick jerk of his head, taking care not to jar Steve from his sleep. Though he was worried for his friend’s heart, Bruce left him to it, knowing that Tony was a big boy and could take care of himself and if the worst happened, then he would be there to pick up the pieces of Tony’s fragile heart. Grabbing the bowl of popcorn, Bruce left with the rest of the Avengers as they shuffled out one by one: Clint supporting a drowsy Phil and Natasha playing Angry Birds in one hand with an empty glass in the other.

It was only after the room was empty did Tony lightly shake Steve awake, murmuring in a gentle tone, “Wakey-wakey, Stevie.”

Steve groaned and blinked against the brightness of the living room. “Don’t call me that,” Steve grumbled as he leaned away from Tony and stretched his shirt riding up to show the barest hint of golden skin. Tony turned away from sight, subconsciously licking his lips; Steve didn’t need to see him lusting after him. Now wasn’t the time for it, especially when Steve was expecting Howard’s child.

“All right,” Tony said as he got to his feet before holding out his hands to pull Steve up. “Let’s get you to bed.”

Steve quirked his lips in the semblance of a smile and allowed Tony to wrap his arm around his waist as the pair shuffled towards the elevator. It was only after they were inside the enclosed space did Steve begin to lean heavily against Tony as the elevator began its ascent to Steve’s floor; the weight of sleep finally catching up with him. Within a few minutes of exiting the elevator, Tony had seen Steve tucked into bed and fast asleep.

“JARVIS,” Tony called out as he entered the elevator again, bound for his own floor with his lab being his ultimate destination, “monitor Captain Rogers and let me know if he needs anything.”

“Of course, sir,” The AI intoned. “Will you be needing anything else, sir?”

“Lock us down for the night, JARVIS.” Tony said, instructing the AI to set the safety and security protocols. While they might be a bunch of superheroes, it didn’t mean that Tony couldn’t give them all a little peace of mind when it came to where they laid their heads at night.

***

“I feel stupid,” Steve grumbled, not bothering to hide the disdain he felt towards his current yoga pose, resembling a peasant bowing before a king. When his doctor had originally recommended yoga in place of his normal exercise routine, Steve hadn’t given much thought about it; but now that he was somewhere between 15 and 16 weeks, Steve was starting to feel awkward in his own skin, especially in this position. Kneeling with his knees spread and his belly close to the floor, the pose made Steve very aware of his expanding middle.

“As you focus on your tension between your eyebrows,” Natasha intoned, choosing to ignore Steve’s remark and the snicker of laughter from Clint’s direction, “continue breathing as your mind lets go of all its thoughts and concerns.”

Sighing heavily, Steve tried to do as Natasha instructed, but the sound of the gym door opening softly pulled his attention away briefly. With a glance towards the gym’s doors, Steve watched as Phil settled on the stack of mats near the door, stretching his legs out as he waited for Clint to finish. In the last couple of weeks, Phil had become a common sight during their yoga sessions, though Steve wasn’t exactly sure where Phil and Clint disappeared to, once Natasha called it quits for the day.

Dropping his head again, Steve listened for Natasha’s next set of commands. “With your hands still flat against the mat, gently walk your hands to the right side and allow your left shoulder to drop close to the floor.” Natasha directed, making them hold their new pose for a few moment before continuing, “Now, walk your hands to your left.”

There was a brief silence before the unmistakable sound of humming could be heard coming from Clint; while the tone was catchy, Steve couldn’t place the song. It was probably one of those inane pop songs which were so popular. In spite of all Clint’s manly bluster, the archer had a deep seated, supposedly secret, love for Katy Perry, which Tony took great pleasure in teasing him about.

“Shut up, Clint.” Natasha said calmly; but Clint’s humming didn’t stop, if anything it got louder, much to the Russian’s annoyance.

Keeping his head bowed, Steve heard Natasha growl low in her throat before Clint finally spoke, “I’ve got it stuck in my head. And everybody knows they only way to get rid an earworm is to finish the song... out loud!”

Natasha sighed and ignored her friend, turning her attention back to finishing their yoga session. “Repeat once more to both sides, remembering to keep your hands shoulder-width apart.” As Natasha spoke, Steve focused on her words, trying to block out Clint’s singing. While the song was annoying the longer he listened to it, Steve was impressed by Clint’s singing voice. “Returning your hands to the center, slowly ease your body into a sitting position.”

Bending his arms, Steve pushed against the mat and rocked back on his knees, resting his butt on his toes. Once seated upright again, he waited for further instructions from Natasha, but it seemed liked the assassin had another idea in mind. With a grace Steve wished he still possessed, the red head surged to her feet and crossed the few short feet to Clint, punching the other assassin in the shoulder as she passed.

Clint grunted as her fist connected. “No need for violence, Tasha.” He told the woman, rubbing the soreness out of his arm. Phil scoffed at his husband, earning a fierce glare from the other man, especially because of the cheeky grin on his face. Steve’s smile was a little sad as he watched the interactions between Clint, Phil, and Natasha. It was the kind of friendship he had once had with Bucky, and while he enjoyed the company of his team, he couldn’t help but feel an acute sense of loss, whenever he thought of the fallen man.

“We’ll pick this up, same time tomorrow,” Natasha told Steve, giving Clint a pointed look as she grabbed her towel from the closest bench. The archer shrugged at Steve with a grin on his face as he followed Natasha, pushing himself to his feet.

“Sure,” Steve replied, cupping his hands around his slightly swollen belly, as he waited for the trio to leave. He had no regrets when it came to carrying his child to term; the only regret he had was the loss of his center of gravity and the increasing bulk around his middle.

Even before the super serum, Steve had never been ashamed of his body; but in the last couple of weeks, Steve had begun to realize the full extent of carrying a baby. He hated having to rely on others to pull him to his feet; it was a little embarrassing.

Cupping one hand around the front of the bump, Steve rose to his knees, bringing his right knee forward and putting his foot firmly on the floor before pushing against his thigh to bring himself to his feet. After noting the time on the wall clock, Steve crossed the gym, grabbed his bag, and then made his way towards the door. There were still a couple of hours until dinner, so he had time for a shower, a light nap, and a little bit of drawing time (not necessarily in that order).

***

“You know how I hate lawyers, Pep.” Steve heard Tony say as he rounded the corner leading into the lab from the stairs. Based on the tone in the billionaire’s voice, it sound as if it was a conversation he had many a time with Miss Potts. “Especially the ones that work for me.”

“Good question. I’ve taken to calling her _big little sister_ in my head, ‘cause even though she was conceived first, I was born first.” Tony replied, grinning at his own little joke, but Steve watched as the grin slipped off his face, probably due to whatever Miss Potts had just said to him over their phone connection. “Honestly, I don’t care to think about that right now. Can’t we decide when she’s... I don’t know... 25. 25 is a good age to discuss all of this, instead of not born yet, don’t cha think?”

“Yes, while I understand their concern, I don’t believe it to be valid.”

“That’s rich, Pep,” Tony snorted as he rolled his eyes. “The board of directors aren’t trying to protect the company, just their pockets.”

“You can tell them, Steve and this kid aren’t their problem. It’s mine and I’ll handle it, okay.” The billionaire told his assistant, trying his best to placate her for the time being. While he knew it was an issue that needed to be addressed, it wasn’t one that he was willing to address until it was absolutely necessary. “Now what about these documents you sent over?”

“Yes, Pep, I promise I’ll look over everything and sign it. Bye.”

The faint tread of soles on the cement floor made Tony turn and look behind, gazing at Steve as he crossed the room, edging closer to Tony with every step. Once he was within feet of the genius, with only a worktop table between, Steve stopped. “Your. Problem. You’ll. Handle.” Steve repeated calmly, paraphrasing the gist of the phone conversation he had just overheard. “I’m not your responsibility, Stark. You don’t owe me or my baby anything.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Steve.”

“Then how did you mean it?”

“I--I...” Tony’s voice trailed off, unable to form the answer the soldier was looking for.

“That’s what I thought,” Steve replied angrily, throwing the words over his shoulders as he stormed out of the lab or at least as much as his twenty-one week old belly would allow.

Tony watched as his friend left, torn between going after him or allowing him the chance to cool down. He hadn’t meant for Steve to overhear his conversation with Pepper, which had steadily taken on the characteristics of a broken record. The boards of directors as well as the lawyers were making it their mission to direct and instruct Tony in all his dealings with Steve and Howard’s unborn child.

While on some level he understood the legal ramifications of Steve being pregnant with another Stark heir; it didn’t mean that he liked the sharks circling Steve as though he was blood in the water. Before the lawyers had gotten involved, Tony could’ve cared less what the New York courts had ruled when it came to posthumously conceived children or children conceived during a testator’s natural life, but born after his death; he had every intention of making sure that his half-sibling received his or her fair share of Howard’s monetary legacy. Yet at the same time, the genius couldn’t help but think that this child would be a better person than Tony for never having to know what a bastard of a father Howard Stark had been... maybe, just maybe Howard would have been a different person if Steve hadn’t been buried in the ice and he had been given the chance to raise this baby with the soldier.

Frowning at the digital file sent by Pepper, Tony decided to put Steve, the Board of Directors, and the lawyers out of his mind and focus on the task at hand, deciding which of the new R&D projects would be continued and which would be scrapped. Otherwise, Pepper would have his balls and he liked having them where they were at the moment. Plus, it wasn’t like Tony didn’t have the other half of Steve’s pregnancy to plan his strategy for dealing with Steve and his baby.

 ***

“Captain Rogers, a word?” Phil Coulson requested in his normal ‘agent of S.H.I.E.L.D’ voice from the doorway of the shared kitchen.

Giving the agent a half-smile, Steve paused in stirring the pan of pasta sauce. “Call me, Steve, Agent Coulson.”

“In that case, you are more than welcome to call me Phil.”

Steve nodded his head in agreement and said, “All right, Phil. What did you need to speak with me about?”

“As I’m sure you are aware, Agents Romanov and Barton recently return from a S.H.I.E.L.D classified mission. Though, I cannot tell you the particulars of the mission, there is something they discovered that I know will be of great interest to you.” Phil explained, eyes following Steve as he prepared one of his many meals of the day. As the blonde put his lunch together, Phil couldn’t help but think of the joke Clint had made about Steve secretly being a Hobbit; a reference that Steve didn’t get until Clint, Natasha, and Bruce had sat him down and watched the movie with him.

Steve was a little confused by where this conversation was headed, unless it somehow ended up related to HYDRA, which was always a possibility. Even though Schmidt had disappeared, HYDRA had continued with his objective, treating his _death_ as if it was to occur, for the good of their mission. “What does this have to do with me?”

“Sorry,” Phil apologized, a little embarrassed by his inability to speak effectively while in the presence of the blonde, even after months of living in the tower with him. “They discovered a body in an abandoned Soviet lab... the person is cryogenically frozen.”

At hearing the words, cryogenic stasis, Steve interrupted the agent. “What does that mean?”

“It’s kind of what you experience while under the ice, basically cells or tissue are injected with chemicals to help preservation before being cooled in sub-zero temperatures,” Phil waited for Steve to acknowledge he understood what he had just heard, before continuing, “Now according to all of the documents and computer readouts they were able to uncover, the person... the man found is listed only as Sergeant, 12832557.”

“Bucky,” Steve murmured, struck dumb with the mere thought of his friend being alive.

“It has been confirmed by his original S.S.R and World War II records that he is James ‘Bucky’ Buchanan Barnes.”

Steve shot out of his seat, accidently knocking the chair over as he asked. “When can I see him?” With one hand supporting his bump, Steve leaned over the table and stared at Phil, willing the man to give him an acceptable answer.

“Once the doctors have deemed him not a risk,” Phil responded, quickly holding up his hand as soon as he realized Steve was about to interrupt. “He was found, brainwashed to be an assassin, and given the codename Winter Soldier by the Soviets. His early evaluations show that he is hazy on his life before the Soviets, so the doctors and Director Fury have agreed that it’s best if we wait to reintroduce you to him once he has been deprogrammed.”

“How long will that take?”

“The doctors are optimistic though it could be a matter of a few months. Brainwashing tends to be more effective in children than in adults, and what little information Romanov and Barton managed to uncover does indicate that Barnes underwent a series of reprogrammings over the course of his time with the Soviets, simply due to the implanted information not sticking.”

Steve nodded and said, “Thank you for telling me, Phil,” giving the agent a half-smile before taking a sip of his lukewarm tea.

“I thought you needed to know,” Phil remarked as he stood from the table, taking a moment to stretch out the kink in his back; since his run in with Loki, the muscles in his back seemed to stiffen if he didn’t keep moving. “I’ll get out of your way.” And with that, Phil patted Steve on the shoulder as he passed by, leaving the blonde to his thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

“Trouble sleeping, Cap?” Natasha asked when she noticed the blonde hunched over the kitchen table, hands cupped around a steaming mug.

Steve jumped slightly at the sound of Natasha’s voice; he had not been expecting anyone in the kitchen at such a late hour, which is one of the reasons why he made the choice to leave his room. Since his fight with Tony, Steve had taken to almost avoiding the rest of the Tower’s inhabitants, in case Tony happened to appear. “A little,” he told the assassin with a shrug.

Natasha hummed in replied, as she set about making a cup of tea for herself and another one for Steve. While nobody could or would call the Russian maternal, at least not in the traditional sense, she did have the desire to protect those she considered family and in the last couple of months (since Loki’s attack on Manhattan), Natasha had come to see the Avengers as a part of her family, which already included Clint and Phil. “The baby or Stark?”

“Both.”

“Want to talk about it?” Natasha asked sincerely. She along with the rest of the team were becoming increasingly worried about Steve, especially after the fight between him and Stark. Although they were worried about both men, they left Stark in Pepper’s capable hands, since she had known him the longest and knew the best way to deal with him. As for Steve, the team was at a lost, even before the announcement of his pregnancy; he tended to keep to himself.

“I just don’t understand him,” Steve told her, frowning. “I thought he wanted to be a part of her life and now I find out that he’s only doing it out some unspoken, misguided obligation to Howard. And now he’s avoiding me.”

“Some men can’t handle it; the prospect of having to face a perceived betrayal.” Natasha explained as she handed him a new mug of tea. Taking it with a grateful smile, Steve watched as Natasha folded herself into the chair across from him.

“I didn’t betray him.”

“No, but he probably thinks Howard did.” Natasha pointed out. “They didn’t have the best of relationships.”

“I know, but it just doesn’t make sense.”

Natasha snorted. “Since when has Stark ever made sense?”

Steve released a small laugh before letting silence fall again. It wasn’t until he was half-way through his tea, that Natasha spoke again. “The doctors say he’s progressing nicely; but he’s still hazy on some parts of his life from before.”

“When can I see him?” Steve asked without needing any clarification as to who the Russian was referring to. Following Bucky’s retrieval, Natasha had made it her mission to help the former Soviet assassin regain his identity; after all, who better understood some of the things he had gone through than her.

“Not yet.” Natasha replied, “The doctors don’t think he’s stable enough. Right now, they’re focused on helping him ‘make sense’ of all that happened after his fall. His system is already dealing with the realization of being 70 years out of time, so they aren’t certain what it would do to him... finding out his best friend is alive and well and looking almost exactly the same.”

“Yeah.”

“Give it some time, Cap. It’s only been three weeks and S.H.I.E.L.D wants to make sure he won’t be a threat to you or the baby.”

“I understand,” Steve told her. “What do you talk about?”

“Mainly how much the cold sucked,” Natasha smirked. “And the Soviets. Can I ask you something? What was he like before?”

“The life of the party; but nothing like Tony,” Steve began. “The first time I meet Bucky was when I was getting my face bashed in by the neighborhood bullies. My mom had just died and I was living in the care of the Sisters at the Roman Catholic Orphan Society. Even though he was a couple years younger than me, he sort of became my unofficial protector and my best friend.”

“You’ve missed him.”

“Yeah,” Steve agreed softly.

“Give him time, he’ll remember soon enough.” Natasha said trying to reassure her friend.

Steve looked at her, giving her a shy smile as she calmly sipped the cooling tea.

“It’s time for bed, Cap.” Natasha told him, using her ‘listen-to-me-or-I’ll-break-your-kneecaps’ voice, which was usually reserved for Clint when Phil wasn’t immediately available to handle the archer. “No offense, but you look like shit.”

“Thanks, Natasha.” Steve said as the Russian left the kitchen, taking her mug of tea with her. Once she was gone, Steve stretched in his chair before pushing it away from the table and climbing to his feet. Although Natasha didn’t have any further insight on his situation with Tony, she did give him something to think about. If Tony didn’t want to see him, then he would leave. There was no reason for Tony to have to hide in his own home, especially when Steve had a perfectly good apartment in Brooklyn waiting for him.

*** 

“How are you feeling, Captain Rogers?” A petite brunette woman in her thirties asked as she walked into the small S.H.I.E.L.D medical examination room. “Anything unusual since we last saw each other?” She continued, tucking a strand of her shoulder length hair behind her ear.

Steve followed the green eyed doctor’s movements with his eyes. He had liked her from almost the moment he had met her; Steve couldn’t decide if it was her kind eyes or the infectious grin that made him trust her. “Other than my hips hurting; then no, Doctor Young?” Steve said with a shrug. “And please call me Steve.”

“All right Steve. In that case, you can call me Molly.” She countered, beaming broadly before her face twisted into one of concern. “Hurts how, exactly.”

“It’s a pressure; but it’s not like back pain. It feels like something is sitting on my hips.” Steve explained as he shifting slightly on the less than comfortable exam table.

“Well there is,” Molly said good-naturally. “Sorry, but in all seriousness, lay back so I can poke and prod you a bit.”

Steve grinned and complied, leaning back on the hard table and exposing his stomach to the doctor’s gaze. As Molly trailed her fingers along his swollen stomach, lightly pressing against the skin around his hips and flank; a small frown appeared on her lips as soon as she noticed the grimace flash across Steve’s face. Pressing her fingers against the spot again, she focused her attention on the area immediately surrounding it. “I have an idea about what it is; I’ll be back in a minute.”

“It’s nothing serious, is it?” Steve asked concern evident in his voice as he struggled to sit up.

Molly went for a reassuring smile and said, “Everything’s fine, Steve,” as she patted his knee. While she had a great a bedside manner, much better than some of the doctor’s Steve had seen in his childhood, Molly Young knew that there wasn’t anything she could do to calm the nerves of the anxious father-to-be. In her opinion, it was almost as though Steve was waiting for her to say, ‘this isn’t a viable pregnancy,’ which Molly had no intention of saying. Come hell or high water, this baby would be delivered happy, healthy, and into the waiting arms of his or her father.

Closing the door softly behind her, Molly directed a nearby nurse to bring her the portal x-ray machine. Once the nurse left to bring the needed equipment, Molly pulled up the digital copy of Steve’s S.S.R. medical record, taking a quick glance through the various x-ray films that had been taken during Project: Rebirth.

“Here you are, Doctor Young.” The redheaded nurse said, giving the machine’s handle a quick tap before going back to her desk.

Molly gave a short ‘thank you’ then wheeled the machine back to the exam room.

“I want to do an x-ray to confirm my suspicions.” Molly told him, after shutting the door behind her. As she moved the machine into position, so the crane like neck was above Steve, she continued talking. “But I think your hips aren’t shifting like they should.”

“Shifting how?”

“With a woman becomes pregnant, her body begins to release an excess of a hormone called Relaxin. Like the name hints, the theory is that it assists in relaxing your joints, arteries, and intrauterine ligaments during pregnancy, so the baby has room to grow.” She explained as she laid an x-ray apron across his chest, making sure Steve’s stomach was fully covered.

“This isn’t going to hurt the baby is it?” Steve tentatively asked, “I’ve been reading the horror stories about women having miscarriages doing even some of the simplest things... like running. And I’ve been wondering why I didn’t have a miscarriage; I mean I got hit in the stomach during Loki’s attack.”

“I can only assume that it’s the super-soldier serum protecting her. As you know, it enhances your human abilities, such as healing and durability to physical attacks; I suspect that the serum is protecting her as well since right now she is a part of you.”

“Okay,” Steve replied, breathing out a sigh of relief. Ever since he had found out about his pregnancy, he had been worried about accidentally causing a miscarriage. “Thanks.”

“Happy to help,” Molly told the man before stepping back from him and powering up the machine, aiming it at his hips. A few seconds later, the image appeared on the machine, showing her a clear view of Steve’s hips at 28 weeks pregnant. With a few clicks, Molly had the new digital images sent to her tablet so she could compare them with the ones taken a few weeks after the serum had been administered. Pulling the cart away from Steve, Molly pushed it into a corner of the room, so it was out of the way then crossed back to Steve, removing the apron from his chest.

“Need a hand up,” Molly asked with a ghost of a smile as she offered her hand. Steve looked between her face and her hand before ultimately deciding to accept her offer in helping him sit up; the lack of unobstructed movement was quickly becoming one pre-pregnancy aspect he was sorely missing.

Holding the tablet in front of Steve’s face, Molly quickly explained what he was looking at. “The right image shows the positioning of your hips now while the left is the one we took after you woke up.” She clicked a couple of buttons on the program, superimposing one image on top of the other, before continuing with her explanation, “and as you can see, there isn’t any major difference. The computer is calculating a width difference of maybe 2 to 3 millimeters, which isn’t a lot, so as the baby gets bigger, it won’t have as much room to move. It’s going to get very uncomfortable for you, the closer we get to your due date.”

“Is there anything that we can do?” Steve questioned, slightly panicked by what Molly was saying. Taking a deep breath, Steve tried to calm his raging heart; he was prepared for war and for bloodshed, but nothing could prepare him for the thought of losing his unborn child.

“Normally I’d prescribe a hormone replacement but in this case, it wouldn’t have any effect.” Molly replied, double checking the hormone readout from his last round of blood tests. Although his levels weren’t too disconcerting, Molly knew that she was going to have to change his routine until the delivery date.

“Why not?”

“Because your body already produces it…” Steve tilted his head slightly and gave her a look of confusion, but stayed quiet, waiting for her to explain further. “It’s found in semen and is believed to help with a sperm’s mobility. So if I were to prescribe it to you, the hormone would not have the effect on your body we were hoping to achieve. Does that make sense?”

Steve nodded his head, “Yeah.”

“Good.” Clapping her hands together, Molly said, “So instead, I’m going to prescribe, a modified bed rest until your scheduled c-section, which should hopefully help ease some of pressure on your hips.”

“What does that mean?” Steve asked, a mixture of interest and concern showing clear on his face.

“You will be allowed to shower; go to the restroom; move between the couch and bed; and make yourself quick and easy meals... sandwiches and the like. Since you’ve moved out of Stark Tower, I’d recommend that you find a local place that delivers and remember to stick to healthy foods.” She waited for him to nod his head before continuing, “Now that we’ve got that out of way; let’s get down to business with blood pressure, blood draws, and listening to your baby’s heartbeat.”

“Okay,” Steve agreed as he held out his right arm to Molly, who quickly wrapped the black blood pressure cuff around his bicep. She hummed low in her throat as she read the readout before writing it on his chart.

After taking the cuff off, she crossed the room and grabbed the supplies needed for a blood draw. With a smirk on her face, she glanced at Steve before getting to work. “I’m not a vampire, promise.”

“Are you sure about that?” Steve said, smiling at their inside joke, which all started after a nurse had started gushing about the newest Twilight movie and Steve had asked for clarification. What followed was a long winded rant about why the whole book series was a mess of over dramatic angst and lent credence to the school of possessiveness and stalker behavior being romantic. Unfortunately for Steve, his curiosity had been perked and he just couldn’t let it go, which then lead to him being caught reading the first book by Clint and Natasha. Let’s just say, Steve discovered some rather fascinating aspects of their combined imaginations; some of it was still giving him nightmares.

“Promise!” Molly giggled before quickly sobering. “Actually, I have a confession to make... I’m a werewolf. Tragic, I know. Waxing during the full moon is a bitch.” Steve chuckled at her remark, watching her movements as she finished up. “All right if you’ll lean back again, we’ll listen to her heartbeat.”

Steve blinked around the tears in his eyes as the room filled with the steady sounds of his baby’s heartbeat. While the sound was a comforting presence to him, it still couldn’t make up for the loss of Howard being here to meet this child. However if he allowed himself to wonder about the what-ifs, a fear developed that Howard would have been the same kind of father to this child as he had been to Tony. And since it is as they say, ‘hindsight is 20/20’ Steve began to question if he would have made a different choice when it came to having this baby.

After removing the fetal monitor, Molly helped Steve sit up. “As your doctor, I have to stress the importance of having a birthing partner or in your case a c-section partner. It’s nice to have someone you trust to hold your hand during it.” The pair fell silent for a few moments, neither one willing to continue with that particular subject. It another thing that was one thing Steve liked about Doctor Molly Young, she had never asked or pried into the identity of the child’s other father. After giving Steve one final pat on the knee, her own brand of comfort, she said, “Any questions or concerns, even if it’s just the sniffles, call me.” Steve nodded his head and waited until she left the room before pulling his clothes back to rights and leaving. There was a lot he needed to think about and plan for now.

***

“If I didn’t know you were pregnant, I’d say you got fat,” Bucky said by way of greeting, once Steve opened the door. The blonde stared in shock at the sight of his friend, who looked almost exactly the same as he did the last time Steve had seen him, save for the metal arm sticking out of his jacket sleeve.

“Bucky,” Steve whispered, shocked by the sight of his best friend. He had only managed a few words with Natasha since leaving the tower, and Bucky’s progress hadn’t been the topic of those short discussions. “How?”

“Hey, buddy.” The ex-assassin replied laughter bubbling in his throat as Steve pulled him into the apartment with a hug. Bucky returned the hug, squeezing Steve as hard as he dared, while still being mindful of the precious twenty extra pounds his friend was carrying. “Agent Romanov sprung me for the day.”

Steve did a quick glance behind his friend; but didn’t see the redhead anywhere in the hallway. “Where is she?”

“Waiting in the car; she thought you might be in need of a friend.” Bucky explained while he pulled off his coat before leaving it on a nearby chair. As his friend got comfortable, Steve’s eyes wandered across his body, noticing the dark wash of his blue jeans and the dark blue long sleeved henley he wore. Although the henley did little to cover up the bulk and odd shape of his bionic arm, it did hide the arm’s metal plates from view.

“How long can you stay?”

“As long as you need, Steve.” Bucky replied, beaming at his friend. “You’re supposed to call her on your cell...phone, when I’m ready to go.” He repeated, rolling the unfamiliar word around on his tongue. According to the service records, Bucky had been in use by the Soviets until the fall of the Berlin Wall in the early 90s; therefore, it was pure luck that the stasis chamber was still fully optional when Natasha and Clint found him.

Steve breathed a sigh of relief as Bucky settled next to him on the couch. Yet his relief didn’t last long, no sooner than Bucky was seated, the brunet’s mouth opened, uttering the few words that Steve had been wanting to say and dreading at the same time. “So Stark?”

“I had just lost you, Bucky, and it was one time.” Steve explained, involuntarily licking his lips... a little out of nervousness and a little to give his brain time to find the words he wanted to say. “I guess the nuns at the orphanage weren’t lying.”

“Guess not,” Bucky said with a laugh; however, his happiness quickly disappeared as he turned to more sobering thoughts. “What’s this about Howard’s son, Tony? Tasha wasn’t big on the details.”

“I thought we were becoming friends. Hell, I thought he wanted to be involved in his sister’s life, but he’s only doing it out of some misplaced loyalty to Howard.” Steve recounted, hurt and angered by the genius’s actions. While Steve had never expected more than friendship from Tony, especially after the announcement of his impending bundle of joy, he had blindly believed that Tony wanted to be a part of his sibling’s life. It would seem he had been wrong about that.

Wrapping his hand around Steve’s wrist and squeezing, Bucky turned to Steve and said, “I’m sorry, buddy.”

Steve gave a half-hearted shrugged before rounding the couch and collapsing into the vacant seat next to Bucky. “There’s nothing you can do, so tell me about S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“What’s to tell: I wake up; eat breakfast; spend a couple of hours with a psychiatrist getting my head shrunk; then I eat lunch before Agent Romanov drags me off to the gym and tries her own version of _recalibration_ on my head.”

“You should talk to Clint about that.” Steve quipped, smiling. There was an awkwardness between them, but Steve knew it would pass. They weren’t the same men they had been all those years ago; plus, there was the stress of existing in a time, where they would have either been dead or very old men.

“That’s the archer, right?”

“Yeah.”

Twisting his body, Bucky turned into Steve, resting a knee on the cushion between them. “So what’s the deal between them?” He asked earnestly; the tone in his voice threw Steve for a moment; very rarely had Bucky ever cared about the relationship status of a woman he wanted. In his opinion, if the sufficient other wasn’t man enough to keep his girl, then it was his problem not Bucky’s.

“Why, you interested...?” Steve teased, trying to keep the conversation as light as it was ever going to be.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I’m handsome, she’s a gorgeous dame. I think we’d make beautiful children together.” Bucky replied with a hint of mischief in his voice; though his leer, a few seconds later, gave him away. While Bucky might make everything seem like a joke, given the length of their friendship, Steve had learned all of Bucky’s tells and could read him like an open book.  

Steve laughed, “I don’t recall you having children in mind while you were with all those other dames.”

“People change, Steve.” Bucky remarked drily. “What’s the deal between Clint and Natasha?”

“They’re just friends. Clint was sent to kill her; but made a different call and brought her in.” Steve told the other man. “Anyway, Clint’s married to Agent Coulson.”

“How times have changed?” Bucky whistled, remembering a time when being a homosexual meant living in fear of being who you were.

“Yeah,” Steve agreed, pausing a moment before deciding that their mood had gone from being happy to almost out and out depressing in a matter of minutes. “Want to watch a movie?”

“Sure, what do you have in mind?” Bucky asked, glancing around the small apartment, taking note of everything. The space was different yet familiar at the same time; almost as though S.H.I.E.L.D made an attempt at mixing the old with the new, so the WWII veteran wouldn’t feel as out of place in his new home.

“Depends? New for us or new for them?”

“Good question. Let’s go for new for us.” Bucky replied as he grabbed the TV remote from the coffee table. S.H.I.E.L.D had seen fit to give Bucky a crash course in modern technology, so the former Soviet assassin was better equipped to deal with his surroundings when it came time for his release.

“All right,” Steve agreed before asking, “Want something to drink?”

“Sure.”

With an almost innocent expression on his face, which he had witnessed time and time again from both Clint and Phil, Steve countered with, “Mind getting me a glass of milk while you’re up.”

“Funny.” Bucky remarked good naturally with a roll of his eyes. “Good thing I like you.” He continued as he rose to his feet to do his friend’s bidding.

While his friend was gone, Steve readied the movie, selecting it from the list of available _classics_ on Netflix. The new smart TV had been a gift from Pepper, an apology for her role in the events, which led to him leaving the tower. After finding out that her phone call to Tony had caused a fight between the pair and Steve to leave the tower, she had tried to apologize for Tony and the company. However, Steve had rebuffed the apology because he wanted an explanation from Tony and not Pepper, so Pepper sent the TV and focused her attention on getting Tony to be a human being for once.

Pausing the film on the black and white image of the Warner Bros logo, Steve waited for Bucky to return with their drinks. “What did you pick?” Bucky asked as he handed over Steve’s milk before setting back down in his original seat.

“ _Arsenic and Old Lace_ , with Priscilla Lane and Cary Grant.” Steve replied, barely managing to keep the smirk off his face; but the humor in his voice was another matter entirely. After pressing play on the remote, Steve rested his hands on his stomach, enjoying the feel as his daughter spun and moved within. Though the feeling had been a little strange at first, it quickly became something to look forward to as his days within this small apartment began to feel endless.

Bucky narrowed his eyes and mumbled a quick, “shut up,” as the movie began to play.

“What? I didn’t say anything.” Steve joked.

“Your look and your movie choice speaks volumes, Steve.” Bucky responded as he pointed an accusing finger. “At least I didn’t have a crush on Jimmy Stewart.”

“Shut up.” Steve grumbled, causing Bucky to break out into laughter. The brunet’s laughter was infectious and soon Steve was laughing as well. They were so caught up in their laughter, the pair managed to miss the opening moments of the movie, meaning Steve had to begin the movie again. Though neither really cared, it was good being together again; it almost felt like home.

*** 

With a quiet groan, Steve twisted his body and looked at the time on his alarm clock; 3:19 was definitely too early in the morning for someone to be banging on his front door. Especially considering, it was only a little past 1:00 when he finally managed to drift off to sleep. Throwing off his covers, Steve stumbled out of bed, catching himself on his bedside table as a wave of dizziness overcame him.

Slowly he waddled towards the offending noise, using the walls for support as he maneuvered his 32 week old bump through his apartment. While the bed rest had done some good, it hadn’t completely fixed the problem, not that Steve had expected it to; the weight of his daughter was still pressing down on his hips every time he moved. Luckily he was only 5 weeks out from his c-section and soon he’d have his beautiful little girl in his arms, thus putting an end to all of his discomfort.

Throwing open the door, Steve took an involuntary step back when he came face to face with the one and only, Tony Stark.

“Hiya, Cap,” Tony drawled with a lazy smirk on his face. Tony looked tired, from the dark circles under his eyes to his general rumpled appearance: greased stained jeans and a dark blue fitted t-shirt over a white henley.

Although it wasn’t exactly fair to Stark, Steve said the first thing that came to mind. “Are you drunk?”

“Why would you ask that?” Tony exclaimed, put out by Steve’s automatic assumption of facts. “I’ve barely slept since you left. And JARVIS has locked me out of my own lab on Pepper’s orders.”

“So that’s why you’re here. Not because you want to apologize but because Pepper barred you from your lab.” Steve shouted back, annoyance clear in his voice. The baby was raging havoc on his sleep schedule and here was Tony Stark interrupting what little sleep he had managed to get. “Nice one, Stark.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Cap.” Tony replied, giving Steve his best impression of a kicked puppy, which wasn’t hard to do.

“Then how did you mean it?” Steve questioned his body tense and guarded as though he was preparing himself for an attack.

Tony closed his eyes and stood there, taking a moment before answering, “It was more a catalyst to get me here.”

“Oh good. I’ll be sure to tell JARVIS and Pepper thanks. Now go away.”

“Damn it, Steve! I’m trying to apologize here.” Tony hissed, keeping in mind the time and the fact Steve had neighbors sleeping. And Pepper said that he couldn’t be considerate, he’d show her.

“Really, could have fooled me. I haven’t heard you utter the words yet...”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to hear me on the phone with Pepper,” Tony murmured weakly as he seemed to close in on himself. “Please, let me in so I can explain.” It was the expression of utter defeat on Tony’s face that stopped Steve from closing the door. And as he continued to glare at the billionaire, Steve noticed the lines around his mouth and eyes; those weren’t usually present if Tony had only been pulling an all-nighter, which meant Tony Stark was telling the truth. He had been losing sleep since their fight.

Steve sighed and opened the door wider, allowing Tony to enter his apartment. “It’s late, Tony. You can take the couch for the night and we can talk about this in the morning.”

“All right, Cap.” Tony agreed and for the first time since he arrived, he actually looked at Steve for the first time in almost 8 weeks. Although, he had been secretly hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters to observe the soldier when he came for his appointments, this was the first time Tony had seen Steve face to face since the fight. It didn’t appear that much had changed, except for maybe his hair was a little longer and his stomach had grown bigger. From what Tony could see, Steve still looked good even 32 weeks pregnant and standing in his living room at 3 o’clock in the morning with sleep tousled bed head, only wearing a baggy green t-shirt stretched tight over his bump and gray sleep pants hung low on his hips. “Night.”

“Goodnight,” Steve replied before turning on his heel and going back to his bedroom. Yet it would be many hours before Steve’s mind emptied enough for him to return to sleep; though he wasn’t alone in that regard.

*** 

Tony hadn’t meant to sleep as long as he did; but when he next woke, it was to the light sounds of Steve puttering around in the kitchen. After throwing off his blankets, Tony wandered into the kitchen to see if Steve needed any help with breakfast ‘ _or was it brunch_ ,’ Tony pondered, glancing at his watch.

“Need any help, Steve?” Tony asked from the doorway of the kitchen. “I make a mean omelet.”

Steve turned at the sound of Tony’s voice and said, “If you want to get the plates and glasses out of that cabinet,” while pointing to the cabinet closest to the fridge with a wooden spoon.

“Sure, Steve.” Tony replied, grabbing the needed dishes and setting the small kitchen table. The whole scene screamed domestic and further strengthened Tony resolve to fix things with Steve; he wanted this, a home and a family, even if that meant not being in a romantic relationship with him. Tony was willing to settle for just being a big brother to his soon-to-be sister. It had been a long time since Tony had felt the bonds of family, though his friendship with Rhodey was pretty damn close to it.

Tony waited until Steve had dished out their meal, a light breakfast of eggs, toast, and orange juice, before opening his mouth again. “I’m sorry that you heard what I said to Pepper that day.” Tony started but quickly held up his hand when it seemed as though Steve was going to comment. “Let me finish, Steve. Please.”

Steve nodded and took a sip of his orange juice, showing his willingness to listen to Tony’s full explanation.

“As per the Stark Industries’ by-laws, I am required to inform the Board of Directors of any changing developments, which may affect the company for the good or the bad. I decided that while I could care less about how my new sibling would affect stock prices or even the division of company assets, I did know that this was one development that the Board and lawyers needed to know about. Mainly, to ensure that if anything happens to us, the kid was going to be protected and provided for. I had no idea at the time that paranoia would set in.” Tony paused, taking a breath before continuing with his explanation. “I won’t bore you with the details, the gist of it is: the lawyers researched New York inheritance laws and discovered that she...”

“Zoey,” Steve murmured, causing Tony to look at him and smile. It was the first time Steve had told anyone the name he had chosen for his little girl and the fact that Tony beamed when told meant the world to Steve. It showed Steve that the ‘genius, billionaire, philanthropist’ did care about his father’s daughter.

“Zoey, then,” Tony said, repeating the name. It wasn’t a name Howard would have picked for his kid; but given this little girl would be Steve’s, wholly, it seemed to fit. “So they did their research and discovered that Zoey will be considered by the surrogate’s court as being a child conceived during the testator’s, meaning Howard’s, natural life as opposed, to her being the product of artificial insemination following his death. Their paranoia set in upon the realization that technically upon her birth, Zoey will be entitled to a percentage of the company, namely half, if the lawyers are interpreting the will correctly.”

At seeing Steve’s perplexed and wondering expression, Tony decided he needed to clarify what was happening on the legal front. “From what Pep says, there are two schools of thought in what Howard actually meant by his wording; Strauss, one of the lawyers, thinks Howard knew there was a possibility you might have been pregnant or could have become pregnant due to the serum. It’s all very vague and slightly riddlely.” Tony related before he began muttering the different ways his new word could possibly be pronounced. “Rid-dle-ly... Riddle-ly.”

“But I don’t want anything from Stark Industries, Tony. You know that.” Steve retorted, interrupting Tony while he continued to roll ‘riddlely’ around on his tongue.

“I know that, Steve. However, it’s not a matter of what you or I want. It’s, unfortunately, a matter of what’s best for the company and what’s best for the company is the appointment of a trustee for Zoey’s share and all relevant documents to be filed with the court.”

Steve sighed. “So I don’t get a say in any of this?”

“I didn’t necessarily say that; you are fully in your rights to sign away all of Zoey’s rights to Stark Industries and Howard’s legacy,” Tony remarked, “However, if you go that route, I’ll be forced to just name her as my heir, so... the legacy is hers regardless.”

“Tony.”

Leaning back in his chair, Tony observed Steve, noting the frustrated expression upon his face, and said, “I’m not getting any younger, Steve, and given my track record with women, I don’t see myself getting married or having any kids in my lifetime.” Then Tony reached out and grabbed Steve’s hand, wrapping his own around it, “Let me take care of her. I know you hate feeling weak; but this has nothing to do with weakness, Steve. She’s my little sister and I want to give her everything that she should have gotten from Howard. Please, Steve.”

“All right, Tony.” Steve agreed, squeezing his friend’s hand a little bit longer than necessary before releasing it. “I’m not moving back into the tower, until after she’s born.”

“Okay, a sleepover, it is then.”

Steve’s eyes widen as he caught on to what Tony meant. “You don’t have to stay here.”

“Oh, but I want to. You’ve been cooped up in this apartment too long by yourself and I fully plan on taking care of Zoey and you until your c-section.” Tony told Steve, leaving no room for argument in his tone. “When is your c-section, by the way?”

“It’s scheduled for January 8th.”

“So not a New Year’s baby, then?”

“No,” Steve stated. “While Doctor Young wants Zoey to be full-term at delivery, she’s still worried about the stress on my body.”

“Not much longer now, only 5 weeks or so until she’s here.”

“Yeah,” Steve said, nodding as his eyes darted back and forth across his kitchen. From where Tony sat, it seemed as though Steve just realized what her impending arrival meant and it was clear, even to Tony that Steve wasn’t even close to ready for it.

“First things first, I’m going to call Happy and have him bring over some of my stuff and while I do that, you’re going to go sit on the couch.” Tony announced, all but ordering Steve to do so.

“Tony,” Steve interjected, already seeming a little exasperated by his presence, “I’m not an invalid.”

“I’m not saying you are; but you are on bed rest. Plus, I’m perfectly capable of cleaning up our breakfast.” Tony remarked, leaving the _please_ silent. Pushing his chair back, he waited until Steve had risen from his own seat before getting up. It was only after he was sure Steve was safely and comfortably settled on the couch did Tony call Happy and make the necessary arrangements for his belongings.

***

The next couple weeks found Tony taking an active interest in caring for Steve by: making food runs, doing the laundry, and generally being a presence in the apartment. Although, the first few days hadn’t been easy for either man, each used to having their own privacy and space; but after about a week, the pair soon settled into a comfortable routine of Tony working from the couch while Steve caught up on some of the movies and television he missed while in the ice.

It was only after Steve was asleep did Tony take the time to research any and all pregnancy sites and forums he could find; he decided to be as well versed in the care of Steve and Zoey during their last couple of weeks as possible. Also, it helped to alleviate some of the guilt he felt at having waited so long before coming to find and apologize to the other man. However, he knew he wasn’t the only one feeling guilty, if the gifts from Pepper were any indication. First, it had been the smart TV before Tony arrived and now, it was a pregnancy gift basket... filled with all the possible creams, tonics, and oils a pregnant woman could need or want. If Tony was completely honest with himself, he was kind of jealous that he hadn’t thought of the basket first; Steve seemed to be a fan of the tummy butter.

However, their tranquil existence didn’t stand a chance, especially after Tony made the decision to bring Christmas to Steve. Originally, he had planned to have an extravagant holiday party at the tower for the Avengers and their invited guests; but with Steve’s refusal to leave his apartment, unless he had to for his prenatal appointments at S.H.I.E.L.D (which Tony had begun accompanying him to), Tony cancelled his appearance at Stark Industries’ Christmas bash and settled for a quiet affair with his friends. Pepper hadn’t been too happy with his decision, yet she understood on a personal level that Tony needed to do this for Steve and for himself. After everything Tony had been through, he deserved the right to trade his very public life for a more private one... one that would hopefully soon include a handsome blonde and his soon-to-be daughter.

The moment he realized that Steve had no plans to decorate or even celebrate the holiday; Tony made arrangements for Happy and Pepper to gather the boxes of Christmas decorations from storage (mainly, the ones from Tony’s own childhood) and enlisted the help of the team to decorate the apartment while they were at S.H.I.E.L.D for Steve’s weekly doctor’s appointment. To say that Steve was pleasantly touched by Tony’s surprise and the team’s involvement was an understatement; Tony’s sure that he saw Steve shed a tear or two at the sight of his living room.

While Christmas wasn’t as quiet as Steve would have liked, he couldn’t deny that he enjoyed spending the day with his friends and teammates. And soon, their Christmas was followed by a quiet New Year’s Eve bash, which for the first time in Pepper’s long history with Tony didn’t involve copious of alcohol or scantily-clad women. Instead, it was full of friendship, board games, and anecdotes of the past year, as well as some creative storytelling by Bucky of his and Steve’s misspent youth.

It was only after the holidays had passed did Steve began readying for the birth of his daughter by packing a small bag for his short stay at S.H.I.E.L.D as well as a bag for Zoey’s things. And all too soon, it was time for him to meet the precious life he had carried for eight and a half months.

*** 

“We’re ready for you, Mr. Stark.” A nurse, whose nametag read April, announced as she approached the group of friends and superheroes gathered in S.H.I.E.L.D’s medical wing. The day of Steve’s Cesarean had arrived and in a few short hours, he would finally meet his little girl.   

As Tony rose from his chair to follow the nurse, Bucky laid his hand on Tony’s shoulder, stopping him momentarily. “I’m glad he’s not alone for this.”

Giving Bucky a small smile, Tony whispered, “me too,” before falling into step behind the young redhead. Once the double doors leading to the surgical suites closed behind him, Tony was directed to a small room and handed a pair of scrubs. “Slip these on over your clothes and wash your hands, please. I’ll be back for you in a few minutes.” April told him before stepping out of the room.

Looking at the pale blue scrubs in his hand, Tony sneered, remembering why he hated hospitals: the clothes they forced you to wear left little to be desired. Though, regardless of his feelings towards the less than noteworthy garments, Tony slipped them on and walked over to the sink, brusquely scrubbing his hands.

There was a faint tap on the door then April pushed it open and motioned Tony out of the room. “Mr. Stark?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Tony quipped, hoping that his nervousness didn’t show. Even though he wasn’t the one undergoing the knife, Tony was worried about Steve and his daughter; he had spent the last couple of days reading everything he could possibly find about Cesarean sections and while the majority ended without complications, there were still the handful that didn’t.

Once they entered the operating room, April motioned Tony towards Steve, who was already waiting on the operating table with a curtain pulled up to shield him from getting a look at his insides. As Tony settled into the stool next to Steve’s head, he reached out and wrapped his hand around Steve’s, taking care to avoid the various tubes attached. “How ya feeling?”

“Good,” Steve murmured, his voice sounding a little hazy due to the drugs in his system. Normally, a Cesarean called for a regional anesthetic but Molly had decided on a stronger set of drugs due to the serum; she didn’t want to run the risk that Steve’s body would metabolize the anesthetic before his surgery was completed. But, Molly also wanted to ensure that Steve was awake to meet his daughter; hence why Steve hadn’t been put under for the operation.

Tony grinned, amused by the sound of Steve’s voice, and asked. “They giving you the good drugs, Cap?”

“The best.”

“Shall we begin?” Molly asked, though she wasn’t seeking an answer, and clapped her gloved hands, smiling behind her surgical mask. She had been waiting for this day as long as Steve had; it wasn’t everyday that a doctor got to perform a C-section on a man. However, the other reason for her excitement was that she missed babies; if she hadn’t chosen surgery as her field, Molly probably would have stuck with obstetrics and gynecology.

When Tony glanced at Steve, he saw the anxiousness in his eyes; an expression which had become common in the last week or so. Tony understood the cause of Steve’s worry; even though medical science had come a long way since Steve’s childhood, he still couldn’t shake the circumstances of his mother’s death. Squeezing Steve’s hand, Tony tried to help by forcing the soldier to focus on him and ignore what was going on behind the curtain. Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long.

Less than 15 minutes later, Molly was pulling a screaming, red-faced little girl, out of Steve. “And here she is,” she announced, earning a couple of watery smiles from the two men. Once the dark haired girl had been given a brusque rub down and all the fluid had been suctioned out of her mouth and nose, Molly passed her over to a nurse, who carried her over. Tony glanced back and forth between Steve and the baby before allowing the nurse to hand her over without comment. Taking her in his hands, Tony leaned down next to Steve’s head, so he could get a good look at his daughter “She’s beautiful, Tony.” Steve whispered and brushed a soft finger across her cheek, causing the girl to turn her head at the sensation, her little mouth moving as it sought out the source.

“Yeah,” Tony breathed, simply in awe at the little creature in his arms. “She’s definitely going to be a looker. Gonna have to beat the boys... or girls, off with a stick.”

Steve chuckled a little at his assessment and said, “She’s going to hate us when she’s a teenager.”

“Definitely.”

“Sorry, Mr. Stark,” April said as she approached the pair, “but I need to take her to be weighed, measured, and all that good stuff.”

“Sure,” Tony replied, a little apprehensive about handing over his sister to the nurse. Logically, he knew nothing bad would happen to the little girl, but it didn’t stop the mild sense of panic he felt.

With a comforting smile, April added, “You can carry her over and stay with her, if it’ll make you feel better.”

“Am I that transparent?”

“Not you specifically... new fathers in general.” The redhead explained as she moved away from Steve’s head, leading Tony to the other side of the room where a team of nurses were waiting for them.

As the team of doctors and nurses worked, Tony fired off questions left and right, which April patiently answered; she was clearly used to dealing with anxious new fathers. Once they were finished the baby was passed back into Tony’s waiting arms, who quickly and carefully took her back to her father. Settling into the stool again, Tony waited with Steve as Molly finished stitching him back up.

“I have to say,” Molly began, excitement evident in her tone, “I can’t wait to see how your scar holds up against the serum.”

Steve chuckled a little before groaning faintly. “Don’t make me laugh. I’d rather keep my insides where they are.”

“Got it, Captain.” Molly winked, pausing momentarily in her stitching. She wanted to make the scar as minimal as possible, even if she did suspect that the serum would go to work on Steve and he’d be fully healed in a couple of hours. After another thirty minutes or so, Molly was ready to release Steve and have him taken back to his room to recover and bond with his daughter.

As the nurses worked quickly and efficiently to disconnect Steve from the monitors and wires, Tony stepped back from the fray with his sister held close to his chest, hoping his body would help regulate her body temperature. Once Steve had been moved from the operating table to a wheelchair, April approached Tony and told him, “It will be about 15 to 20 minutes before Captain Rogers will be settled in his room. Do you want to come with me and help get baby Rogers bathed and dressed?”

Steve looked to Tony and nodded his head in acceptance; he knew that the moment Zoey was placed in his arms, there wouldn’t be a force on Earth capable of removing her. So it was better to get everything out of the way before he returned to his room with her.

“Lead on, MacDuff,” Tony joked, though it fell flat when April simply tilted her head and gave him a strange look. “Never mind,” Tony muttered as he followed April out of the operating room with Zoey in his arms.

Quickly April crossed the medical wing and ushered Tony inside a room, which held a sink and a couple of plastic maternity trolleys. Standing by the sink, April motioned Tony forward, showing him the best way to bathe the newborn as well as helping him dress her wiggling body. “It gets easier the longer you do it,” April told him, after Zoey was dressed.

“Thanks for your help,” Tony replied, relieved that he wasn’t trying to do this alone for the first time. He had read all of the pregnancy books, same as Steve; however reading about it couldn’t replace the real world knowledge or experience.

“Happy to help,” April said, smiling softly at Tony before turning her focus to Zoey, who was now warm and content in her big brother’s arms. “Ready to go find daddy, sweetie?”

*** 

Once he had returned Zoey to Steve and had made sure that the new father was comfortable, Tony ventured out to tell the waiting group that daddy and baby were both fine and ready to see everybody.

“What’s her name,” Pepper asked, leaning over Steve’s side to get a better look at the dark haired child nestled in his arms.

“Zoey Olivia,” Steve told the group, voicing the name he had decided on months ago and had only managed to tell Tony recently.

Reaching out, Bucky ran his finger along the back of Zoey’s curled hand and said, “Pretty name, buddy.”

“Want to hold her?” Steve asked, silently daring Bucky to reject his offer. During the last couple weeks of Steve’s pregnancy, Bucky had confided in Steve his worry of relapsing and harming his friend’s daughter. But Steve was quick to dismiss his worries because as far as he was concerned, no amount of brainwashing could change the good person Bucky was.

“Sure, buddy.” Bucky murmured and held his arms out in a cradle, waiting for Steve to pass her over to him. Once she was safely in his arms, Bucky rocked the little girl and murmured soothing words to her.

After a few minutes, Bucky passed her over to Phil, who took her with a shy smile—Phil couldn’t believe he was getting to hold his childhood hero’s daughter. And then one by one, Zoey was passed around the group and even Nick Fury stuck his head in long enough to welcome the newest Rogers.

“I have to say, you and Howard make pretty babies. I’m kind of jealous.” He told his friend when Zoey had been returned to his arms.

Yawning around his grin, Steve quipped. “That’s what they all say.”

Upon hearing the sleepiness in his friend’s voice, Bucky handed Zoey back to Tony and began herding the team from the room, leaving Tony to watch over father and daughter as they slept. When everyone was gone, Tony settled down with his sister into the comfy plush chair next to Steve’s bed, ready to catch up on a little sleep himself as he waited for either Steve to wake or for Zoey to need him.


	3. Chapter 3

“Since we weren’t sure about your preferences, Phil and I decided to go with a theme that wasn’t overly girly.” Pepper explained as she pushed the door open to Zoey’s new nursery. The room had been a labor of love for the Avengers, with everyone helping to get it ready for Steve and Zoey’s homecoming.

After entering the newly created room, Steve stopped and stared in wonder at the transformation that had overtaken it. With Zoey in his arms, Steve slowly moved around the room, taking in every facet of it. Three of the walls were painted cream with light purple diagonal stripes, while the fourth wall was plum purple and decorated with three large gardenia-shaped flowers outlined in white.

“It looks like Pottery Barn Kids threw up in here.” Tony joked, watching as Steve began to investigate Zoey’s new crib and bedding. The crib and the matching furniture were a clean white while her bedding was done in a varied paisley theme. Although he would never admit it, Tony was actually impressed by the general theme of the nursery. Instead of the usual princess or fairy theme, Pepper and Phil had chosen a flower theme with a touch of butterflies, colored in purples, blues, and greens.

“How do you know what Pottery Barn Kids sells?” Natasha shot back, eyebrow raised in a silent dare.

“I blame Pepper.” Tony replied, putting himself on the receiving end of Pepper’s classic, “really Tony” look and a hard slap to his arm.

While the rest of the team fell into a discussion about Pottery Barn and why yuppies loved it, Tony came and stood by Steve and listened quietly as he spoke softly to his daughter, describing her new room. “Think you’ll be happy here?”

“Definitely,” Steve murmured, his free hand accidentally brushing against Tony’s, “especially when surrounded by our family and friends.” As much as he wanted to grab the genius' hand and take comfort from it, Steve knew it wasn't the right time. There was still awkwardness between them, even after weeks of living in each other's back pocket. Neither of them wanted to be the one to take the next step for fear of it ultimately ending in heartbreak.

“There’s a bassinet already set up in your room,” Pepper told Steve a few minutes later, her voice cutting through the almost bubble the two men had created for themselves. It was only after she knew that she had caught Steve’s attention did she continue, “Also, I want to apologize for the lack of pinks and reds in her clothes. Natasha and I had a long discussion and decided that we just couldn’t thrust gender stereotypes onto her at such a young age. If Zoey decides at three she likes pink then that’s her choice, not ours.”

Steve smiled at the executive assistant’s statement, while Tony rolled his eyes at the hypocrisy of it. While he could believe that statement coming from Natasha, Pepper was another matter,  given how much she loved her four inch heels and pink lipstick. “Thank you,” Steve said sincerely as he shifted Zoey slightly in order to get a better grip on her body.

“Speaking of clothes,” Phil started with a look of mild embarrassment on his face, “I want to apologize for Clint…”

“What for? I didn’t do anything.” Clint interjected, earning a pointed look from his husband for interrupting him.

Once Clint had stopped his grumblings, Phil continued. “As I was saying, Clint became a bit overzealous with the internet and managed to find some Avengers themed bodysuits, which he bought for Zoey.”

Tony’s eyebrow shot up; clearly the bodysuits’ existence had intrigued the genius. “Show me,” he demanded and made grabby hands towards the archer, who quickly pulled them from the middle drawer of the dresser.

“Originally, I was only going to buy her the Hawkeye and Black Widow ones; but Phil told me no. He said, ‘it wasn’t fair to play favorites.’” Clint grumbled half-heartedly, while Tony and Steve examined the onesies. There were six in total and in varying shades, with each one representing a different member of the team: green (Bruce), red (Steve), black (Natasha), purple (Clint), dark red (Tony), and dark blue (Thor). The artwork on the front was a tad different than what Steve was used to seeing on the Avengers merchandise, which had popped up out of nowhere after the Chitauri attack. Instead of the typical comic book style, the drawings were done in what Steve had learned was a form of Japanese art called super deformed. While he considered the style to be simplistic, he had to admit that Zoey would look absolutely adorable in these onesies.

“Thank you, Clint.” Steve said touched by his friend’s gift. “They’re wonderful.”

Clint beamed back at Steve then turned to Phil and gave his husband a look that could only be described as smug, causing the agent to roll his eyes and sigh. Mentally, Phil prepared himself for a long night of having to listen to Clint crow about how much he rocked.

Taking the onesies back from Tony, Pepper slowly began to herd the group from the room, after noticing the yawns coming from Steve. While the serum had healed his incisions in a matter of hours, Zoey’s arrival had still taken a lot out Steve…as his body worked to repair the stress caused by carrying his daughter.

Once their friends were gone, Tony carefully took Zoey from Steve and crossed the room, laying her down on the changing table; during Steve’s stay at S.H.I.E.L.D, the billionaire had seen to almost all aspects of Zoey’s care and if he hadn’t known how to do something, he asked a ton of questions--driving some of the nurses a little crazy in the process. With Zoey redressed in her ‘coming home outfit,’ a pink and cream floral converter gown (which turned into a bodysuit with a few snaps), Tony wrapped his free arm around Steve’s shoulders and led him from the room. Steve needed to sleep as much as Zoey did and Tony had every intention of tucking them both into bed before settling down to keep watch while he worked.

***

If anyone had told Pepper that Tony would become a worrier, she would have called them a liar. The self-proclaimed genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist didn’t have a self-preservative bone in his body; but when it came to Zoey or Steve, an uncharacteristically, overprotective nature emerged. It didn’t matter what he was in the middle of, the moment Zoey cried, Tony was there... hovering or helping as Steve cared for the newborn.

“Hello, Zoey.” Tony singsong-ed with a smile and his mug inches from her cherubic face. This sight had become normal in the last couple of days as the genius tried to illicit Zoey’s first smile. There were a couple of times in her first weeks of life that Tony had sworn Zoey smiled, but Phil would immediately counter with the statement, ‘it was just gas’ and reiterated that most babies don’t start smiling until around week five or six; to say Tony was disappointed was definitely an understatement. Thus it was one reason why as soon as Zoey hit the five week mark, Tony, armed with his research, had begun his mission of getting Zoey to smile at him.

Unfortunately, Zoey didn’t appear to be on the same page as her brother, because it had already been a week and she still hadn’t given him the response he was seeking.

“Tony,” Steve said gently, torn between leaving Tony to his task or whisking his daughter away for a bath and a cuddle. On one hand, Steve loved how involved Tony was in the care and raising of Zoey; but on the other hand, he was a little apprehensive at how gung ho Tony was being about Zoey reaching some of her milestones. Steve didn’t want a life filled of expectations for his daughter and it was one of his worries with Tony involved. Despite Tony’s claim of being nothing like Howard, Steve could see the bits of Howard within him, mainly the overwhelming drive to continue the Stark genius.

Glancing up, Tony grinned at Steve before returning his attention to Zoey. “Look Zoey, it’s daddy.” Tony gushed, causing the newborn to kick against the blankets she was swaddled in. Steve approached the pair and leaned over the bassinet, gazing at his daughter wrapped snuggly in her polka-dotted blanket. As though he sensed an impending rebuke, Tony looked at Steve and said, “I know, I know. It will happen when it happens.”

“Tony, just because she hasn’t smiled yet, doesn’t mean she’s unhappy.” Steve pointed out as he ran his finger down the side of her cheek. “Her little feet kick every time she sees us, so clearly she’s happy to see us.” He continued; all the books said that around six weeks, Zoey would start recognizing faces and sounds, which she was, if her reactions were any indication.

Tony gave Steve a half-shrug and resumed staring at the little girl, who was yawning widely as her eyes fluttered closed. After checking the swaddle around Zoey, Tony stepped back from the bassinet, watching as Steve leaned down and kissed his daughter on the forehead. “I don’t want her childhood to be like mine.” Tony whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from the sleeping six-week-old.

“It won’t.” Steve replied as he grabbed Tony’s hand and squeezed, hoping it gave the billionaire some comfort. Steve hated how broken his friend sounded when he spoke of his childhood with Howard; it made Steve wish that Howard was still alive, just so he could shake him and demand an explanation. “She has us and our friends. She’ll know she is loved.” Tugging lightly, Steve led Tony from the room; Zoey didn’t need an audience while she slept. And if she needed anything, she and JARVIS would let them know.

*** 

“Phil, should she be pulling on her ears like that?” Clint asked nervously, glancing back and forth between the baby in his arms and his husband, who was standing a foot away. While Clint had grown used to having a baby in the tower, the archer was still exceedingly cautious about his contact with the little girl... he had an overwhelming fear of accidentally hurting her.

After setting down his glass, Phil rubbed his hands together before reaching out and touching Zoey’s brow, checking for any sign of a fever. “She is a little warm,” he replied as he pulled her hand back to get a better look at her ears. There weren’t any overt signs that it was an ear infection, but sometimes it was better to be safe than sorry. Phil had become an expert in spotting ear infections, especially after his own daughter, Skylar, had spent the first year of her life battling a chronic infection.

However, Tony’s arrival hadn’t allowed for Phil to continue his examination; as soon as Phil had spoken the word, ‘fever,’ the genius seemed to appear out of nowhere, taking his sister into his arms. Brushing his lips across her brow, Tony checked her temperature for himself and frowned, realizing that she was warmer than usual. “Not feeling well, honey?” Tony murmured as he peered into Zoey’s faintly flushed face. Although Zoey was too young to reply, she did turn her head towards the sound of Tony’s voice, rubbing her face against the soft cotton of his t-shirt.

A mild sense of panic overtook Tony as he continued to gaze into his sister’s flushed face. Dirty diapers, fussiness, her hatred of sleep, those he could deal with; but the thought of her being sick, downright scared him. “JARVIS?” He called out, swaying Zoey gently in his arms. “Call Doctor Worth,” he told the AI, referring to Zoey’s pediatrician. She had come highly recommended from Molly and she was the wife of a current S.H.I.E.L.D agent, so there wasn’t any worry in regards to sharing Steve’s medical history.

While Tony was waiting for the call to connect, Steve wandered into the living room, hair still wet from his shower. “What’s wrong?” He asked calmly as he approached, noticing the alarm on Tony’s face. There was no point in there being two worriers in this co-parenting relationship; besides, Steve’s history of medical issues had made him a pro at staying calm in the face of them.

“I’ll go get the first aid kit,” Phil announced, grabbing Clint’s hand and pulling him along out of the room.

“She’s flushed and warm.” Tony replied with a nod of thanks in Phil’s direction. “I’m calling Doctor Worth. Phil thinks she might have an ear infection.” And as soon as he uttered the word, Zoey turned her head and vomited on Tony’s shirt, earning a disgusted look from her brother.

“There is no doubt now, sir.” JARVIS replied, sounding excessively smug for a machine. “Doctor Worth is on the line.”

“Please put her through, JARVIS.” Steve stated, grabbing a clean spit up rag from the pile on the back of the couch. Unfortunately the rag did little to help after Zoey vomited again as soon as Steve was finished.

“Hello, Steve?” A female voice said clear and unfazed by having received a call from a computer. “What seems to be the problem?”

“We haven’t taken her temperature, however she’s warm to the touch; she just vomited twice on me, and her ears seem to be bothering her.” Tony explained as he handed the little girl over to Steve then pulled his t-shirt off, luckily the shirt underneath was still unaffected by her sick. “Phil’s gone to get a thermometer.”

“Without taking her temperature it sounds like an ear infection to me, so just bring her in.” Doctor Worth told the pair, “I’ll tell my receptionist to expect you.”

“Thanks, Jennifer.” Steve said relieved that she was able to see them on such short notice.

“You’re welcome, Steve. I’ll see in about thirty minutes?”

“Sounds good, see you then,” he told her before directing JARVIS to disconnect the call. When Phil finally returned without Clint, Steve handed his daughter over to the agent, silently asking him to take her temperature while he went to get her a new change of clothes and sent Tony to gather her diaper bag, then called Happy to bring the car around.

Taking the seven-week-old from her daddy, Phil cooed softly as he walked her around the couch and quickly stripped her soiled clothes from her. As soon as Steve returned and her temperature taken (a 101), Phil effectively redressed her and passed her back to Steve, who strapped her into her car seat.

“Happy’s downstairs,” Tony said when he reappeared, carrying Zoey’s diaper bag in one hand and a tablet in another. Let it never be said that Tony Stark couldn’t multi-task, when Zoey was involved. “Ready to go?”

Picking up Zoey’s car seat, Steve smiled at Phil and thanked him for his help before following Tony towards the elevator.

***

After her ear infection, it would take Tony another six weeks to work up the courage to ask Steve out on a proper date, in spite of the pair already effectively co-parenting the little girl. If it wasn’t for his own fears about rejection or the fact that Steve had a new baby to care for, Tony probably would have asked him out much earlier. But the situation was what it was and the billionaire was going to make the best of it.

“Phil,” Tony said upon entering the kitchen and finding the agent in the process of making what appeared to be a pasta dish with grilled vegetables. “I need a favor.”

Coulson paused momentarily before tossing the vegetables into a bowl with the pasta. “And what exactly would this favor be, Stark?”

“Conspiring with Pepper to get Steve to leave Zoey in your care for the night while I take him out on a date.” Tony wasn’t an idiot; he knew there was no way Steve would leave his ten-week-old daughter unless she was in the care of Phil Coulson... including Pepper was a bonus.

Phil raised an eyebrow and shook his head slightly at the billionaire’s response, then said, “In that case, I want a favor in return.”

“Name it, Philly boy.” Tony countered, grinning wildly at the other man, knowing he had won.

“I want to borrow the Aston Martin.” Phil stated without missing a beat and the way he had calmly and efficiently replied, made Tony wondered if Phil had been dreaming of this day for a while.

“A James Bond fan, huh.” Tony joked, “Should Steve be worried about losing his number one fan?”

“Clint’s the fan. So is that a yes?”

“It’s a yes as long as you make my favor happen.”

Phil’s mouth twitched faintly then settled back into its normal straight line. “Don’t worry, Stark, that’s not going to be a problem.” And with that, Phil grabbed the bowl of pasta, two forks, and left the kitchen.

“JARVIS?” Tony called out, once he was sure Phil was out of earshot. “I’ve been played haven’t I?”

“You have, sir.” The AI replied blandly. Tony knew that if JARVIS had the ability to emit emotions, he would be laughing at Tony right about now.

*** 

“Tony, you didn’t have to rent out the whole restaurant for the night.” Steve remarked as their waiter seated them. With a little help from Pepper (after she had stopped laughing), Tony had finally decided on an upscale French restaurant to take Steve for their first date.

Tony shrugged off Steve’s comment before turning to their waiter and ordering their best bottle of Bordeaux. Once their waiter left, Tony smiled at Steve and began to peruse the menu. “See anything you like, Steve?”

“Not sure,” Steve admitted; yet he would have liked it better if he could hide his own insecurities. This restaurant wasn’t really Steve’s scene; he was more of a ‘diner with meat and potatoes’ kind of guy. “I actually don’t know what some of this is.”

“Then I’ll order for you,” Tony replied, reaching out and taking Steve’s menu from him. After living with the soldier for the last couple of months, Tony figured he could pick a meal that Steve would enjoy. Their waiter reappeared a few minutes later and poured their wine as Tony quickly rattled off their order and handed the menu back to the waiter, who took it with a slight bow then left.

When the waiter left and they were alone again, an awkward silence descended upon the pair. The question of their feelings for each other had long since ceased to be a problem, especially after Tony’s five week stay with Steve in his Brooklyn apartment. They each suspected how the other felt, but Howard’s ghost and Zoey’s existence stopped them in their tracks: Tony due to his fear of Steve comparing him to Howard, of always being second best to a dead man; while Steve lived in fear of Tony growing to resent Zoey. While he knew Tony loved his sister, loving her like a daughter was a completely different matter.

“I like you, Tony.” Steve stated, deciding to break their silence. He had never considered himself a coward, so he wasn’t backing down from this, not when his heart was concerned. Steve had back down before with Peggy; he had loved her, but his fear had stopped him. It wasn’t going to stop him now; he’d take whatever Tony was offering.

“I like you, too, Steve.” Tony replied, giving Steve a pained half-smile and dreading the worst was about to come.

Squaring his shoulders, Steve finally admitted the one truth he had been hiding from Tony since the genius had found out about Zoey. “I was never sexually attracted to Howard. He was offering comfort that I was willing to take.”

“W-what?” Tony sputtered, clearly shocked by Steve’s statement. “Can you repeat that?”

“I didn't like him, sexually. Howard was a friend and it was war. I was in love with a girl named Peggy.”

“So you haven't secretly been comparing me to Howard?” Tony asked disbelief and shock flashing across his face.

“No.” Steve replied, shaking his head. “Actually, I've been secretly worrying that you'd grow to resent Zoey.”

“Like that would ever happen. She's perfect and will be forever perfect to me.”

Steve smiled and said, “That's sweet, Tony.”

“It sometimes happens.” The genius joked as he shrugged off Steve’s compliment. Even after months of living with the soldier, Tony wasn’t used to the praise Steve freely gave; praise hadn’t been Howard’s strong point during Tony’s childhood.

As the waiter approached their table, Steve and Tony fell silent again, watching as their food was placed before them. “Will there be anything else, sirs?” The waiter questioned, stepping back from the table and waiting for a sign from either man, which Tony answered with a brief shake of his head. “Very good, sir,” the waiter responded before leaving Steve and Tony to enjoy their meal.

Picking up his fork, Steve moved the food around on his plate a couple of seconds before leaning forward and whispering, “Tony? What is this?”

“It’s duck terrine with sauternes, poached apricot and green almond purslane salad.” Tony recited before seeing the confused look on Steve’s face. “Basically, a terrine is similar to pate but made with coarsely chopped ingredients. And purslane is a leafy vegetable.” 

“Oh, looks... interesting.” Steve remarked as he tried to hide his expression, which was bordering on disgusted.

Tony shook his head violently. “No, you aren’t allowed to do that. That’s a Clint thing and I know what it means.” Tony accused, calling Steve out for using Clint’s own brand of subtle negativity. If Clint said something was ‘interesting’ then the word could mean it was ugly or disgusting or any number of descriptive words that rattled around in Clint’s head.

Rolling his eyes, Steve gave Tony a pointed look but stayed silent, knowing that Tony wasn’t finished talking yet.

“I tried really hard to make tonight perfect,” Tony told Steve, pouting slightly as he spoke. “Pepper helped and everything.”

“I know you did, Tony. But French food isn't really my thing.”

Glancing at his watch, Tony noted that they had only been gone from the tower and Zoey for maybe half an hour, and if they came back before 10 o'clock, Bucky had threatened the use of Natasha's bodily harm. "So what's your thing, Steve?" Tony asked openly; yet he didn't give the soldier time to respond before answering himself. “What would you say to hotdogs from a cart and a carriage ride through Central Park?”

“Isn't a carriage ride, kind of cliché?”

“Only if you’re on your first date and look at us... we are.”

“Then it’s perfect, Tony.” Steve replied, smiling softly at the billionaire.

Tony grinned and motioned their waiter forward, “Check please.”

“Was anything wrong with your food, sir?” The young man questioned nervously; he’d never had a table leave before the main entry was served.

“I'm sure everything was fine. We just aren't in the mood for French cuisine tonight.” Tony explained.

“Ah.” The waiter murmured, clearly unsure of how he was supposed to continue this conversation; this situation was not something he had been trained to handle.

After laying his napkin across his plate, Steve pushed back his chair and held out his hand for Tony to take, earning a huge grin from the dark haired man. “Ready to go, Tony.”

“As long as we can call Pep and check on the munchkin,” Tony countered, knowing full well that Steve would be agreeable to his proposition.

“We’ll call on the walk to the park.” Steve replied as he tugged on Tony’s hand, pulling him through the maze of tables towards the coat check before leaving the restaurant. Once outside, Steve tucked Tony’s hand into his coat pocket to keep it warm as Tony used his other to call home.

“Tony, you’re supposed to be on a date. Why are you calling?” Pepper said the moment her face showed up on Tony’s screen.

“Show us the kid and we’ll get back to our date.”

“Tony!” Steve exclaimed, chastising the other man for his slightly rude behavior.

Pepper grinned at them through the video chat before turning her head and speaking to someone off camera. “They want proof that Zoey hasn’t been harmed in anyway.” Steve and Tony watched as Pepper disappeared from view, returning a few minutes later carrying Zoey in her arms. “And here she is, Daddy.”

Steve smiled softly at the sight of his daughter, who looked warm and sleepy in her monkey themed peach and white striped footie pajamas. “How has she been, Pepper?”

“Good. She just finished her bottle and Phil was getting ready to put her down.”

“We should be home by 10,” Tony told the woman as he leaned into his camera’s view.

Pepper rolled her eyes, exasperated by Tony’s worrisome behavior, and said, “Steve enjoy your evening. We won’t let anything bad happen to Zoey, all right.”

“Thanks, Pepper.” Steve said before ending the call. After Tony had tucked the phone away, Steve directed them towards Central Park where they enjoyed a couple of hot dogs while being driven around in a horse-drawn carriage.

And true to their word, at two minutes ‘til 10, Steve and Tony exited the elevator onto Steve’s floor. After following Steve down the hallway and into the man’s bedroom, Tony watched as he re-tucked the blankets around his daughter’s slumbering body. Normally, this was the part where Tony would leave Steve for the night; but tonight was different. Instead of allowing the billionaire to leave, Steve murmured a soft, “stay,” just as Tony turned away.

Although, nothing happened that first night; they simply curled around each other and slept until Zoey made her presence known again.

*** 

“You sure it’s in here?” Bucky asked, picking his way through the crates upon crates within the crowded warehouse. Steve had discovered a few weeks ago, the bike wasn’t the only item that the S.S.R. had stored—every piece of the soldier’s former life had been meticulously wrapped up and boxed in hopes that Steve would be found.

Steve shrugged and glanced at Phil, who had the unit’s inventory list in his hand. “According this,” Phil said as he waved the tablet, “it should be here.”

“What color is it again, Cap?” Clint called out from somewhere towards the back of the unit. He had been the first one in, looking every bit like an over-excited puppy seeking his next chew toy. Phil chuckled at his husband’s exuberance.

“Red, Clint, red.” Natasha yelled from her seat on a large wooden crate. The former assassin had no intention of actually helping, her capacity in this ragtag bunch of scavenger hunters was as Bucky’s babysitter... or at least it was until S.H.I.E.L.D. deemed him a non-threat. And at the moment, nobody seemed to know when he would be released from S.H.I.E.L.D housing. He had a nice space in the Avengers Tower waiting for him.

“I’m on it, Cap.” The archer exclaimed then disappeared behind a stack of furniture. While the S.S.R. had seen fit to store the belongings of any agent killed or listed as missing during the war, they apparently hadn’t felt the need to make an item’s location match the warehouse manifest.

Deciding to leave Clint to it, Phil turned back to the group and said, “We’re looking for crates 9085724 thru 9085727 for Steve. And crates 9079410 thru 9079411 for Bucky.”

“Shouldn’t be too hard then,” Steve remarked as he pulled out his phone, checking it for any missed calls or texts from Tony, who was currently watching Zoey. While he hated to leave his daughter for even a short time, Steve needed to find his mother’s christening gown which he remembered packing. After her death, Steve hadn’t been allowed to take very much to the orphanage, only what could fit in the old, battered, red steamer trunk of his father’s.

“How come Steve has more crates?” Bucky grumbled good-naturedly as he continued to work. A few minutes later, he popped his head out from behind a cluster of crates and said, “Found them, Steve.”

“I wanted the bingo!” Clint exclaimed then followed with, “bingo, Bucky,” the moment his eyes landed on the set of crates belonging to the ex-Soviet assassin.

Grabbing the two-way radio, Phil spoke quickly, directing the warehouse attendant with the forklift to their location. They had a van waiting outside to take all the crates to the Avengers Tower, where they could be sorted and unpacked. Once the attendant appeared, Phil handed the tablet over to Steve for him to sign, acknowledging that he had received his belongings, before passing it to Bucky. With the paperwork completed, the attendant went to work, shifting the crates around and loading them into the van.

As he waited, Steve pulled out his phone to call Tony, who answered sounding half-breathless. “Steve, hey. You find it?”

“Not sure, they’re loading the van now. I’ll have to wait until we get back to the tower. How’s Zoey?”

“She’s fine. Perfect, really.” Tony replied. Steve could hear the smile in the billionaire’s voice as he talked about the little girl. “I fed her lunch and she’s sleeping now.”

“Okay,” Steve said, trying to hold in his disappointment. He knew it was irrational, given her age, but Steve had kind of wanted to talk to her a little bit while he waited. Shrugging it off, Steve focused on Tony, who wanted to talk to him. “So what have you been up to?”

“Nothing much. Just looking through R&D’s presentation, which is making me question why some of them even work for me.”

“Poor you,” Steve joked before catching Bucky’s eye roll. The brunet hadn’t been exactly happy with the recent developments in Steve and Tony’s relationship; but he had quickly quieted down once he saw the depth of Tony’s commitment to Steve and Zoey. Also, he wasn’t willing to begrudge Steve the family he wanted, even if it was slightly chaotic in its design.

“Don’t mock my pain.” Tony retorted before the sound of crying broke through their connection. “There’s Zoey. I’ll call you back?”

“No, don’t bother. I should be back soon. Give her a kiss for me.”

“Will do,” Tony agreed and disconnected the call without waiting for Steve to respond. Tucking the phone away, Steve wandered over to Bucky, who had joined Natasha on one of the crates.

“Everything okay?” Bucky asked with a large grin on his face. “Got a question, buddy. Who you picking for the munchkin’s godparents?”

“‘Cause that’s not subtle at all,” Natasha murmured, lightly hitting Bucky in the chest with the back of her hand.

Grabbing her hand, Bucky pressed a kiss to it and said, “I never said anything about being subtle... that was all you.”

“Sorry, I haven’t really thought about it yet.” Steve lied. He had been doing a lot of soul-searching since making his decision to have Zoey christened, and for the most part he had his choices all picked out. Unfortunately, he didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by not choosing them.

“All right, Stevie.”

“Thanks, Jamie.” Steve shot back, using the nickname Bucky hated from their childhood. As kids there had been this sweet, older lady who used to give them cookies for helping her out, and no matter how many times Bucky tried to correct her, she continued to refer to him as ‘Jamie.’

“Back in the van, folks.” Clint announced as Phil started making hand motions at him. As the archer passed the trio with a grin on his face, he said, “Shotgun!” Earning him an exasperated smile along with a raised eyebrow from his husband.

Jumping down off the crates, Natasha and Bucky led the way to Clint and Phil, while Steve brought up the rear. Within minutes the group was on the road and headed back in the direction of the Avengers Tower.

*** 

Once the group returned to the tower they split up, each heading their own separate way; there was still plenty of time left in the day to unload their van. Plus, they were in need of a little brute strength from Thor, who was currently enjoying some sightseeing with Darcy and Jane.

Without a word to JARVIS, Steve immediately headed to Tony’s lab, knowing that’s where he’d find his daughter and his... special someone. Steve wasn’t entirely sure what he and Tony were at the moment; though he did know Tony was as committed to making a go at the relationship as Steve was... after all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Keying in the pass code, Steve quietly entered the lab, which according to Pepper resembled Tony’s old lab in Malibu -- minus the expensive cars, of course. However the space had one area that the original didn’t, a play zone for Zoey, tucked into the corner of the lab nearest the door. Considering Tony built it, the play zone was simplistic in design, with 30″ tall, clear plastic walls firmly attached to the lab’s concrete wall and flooring made of brightly colored rubber squares shaped like puzzle pieces. Inside the six-by-six area, the floor was covered by a bird-themed activity gym, a free-standing swing, and a bunch of smaller toys for Zoey. Despite the 12-week-old spending most of her time napping in her swing, Tony liked to be prepared for any eventuality. 

“See Zoey,” Tony said, holding Zoey against his chest with one hand wrapped around her stomach and the other supporting her butt, “if we tweak it here and here, we can boost the power by 20%.” However, Zoey wasn’t having any of it; she was more focused on trying to get her foot in her mouth.

“She’s a little too young for mechanical engineering, don’t ya think?” Steve quipped softly, not wanting to scare the genius and cause him to drop his precious cargo.

After a quick glance, Tony smiled at Steve and waited for the other man to approach before leaning over to kiss the blonde on the corner of his mouth. “Never. Howard taught me young...” Tony began, before pausing as he realized what he just said. “Then again, maybe you’re right,” he finished as he handed over Zoey, who kicked her little feet in the air.

“Did you miss me, sweetie?” Steve gushed as he grabbed her socked feet in his hand, stilling them, and earning a squeal of disapproval from Zoey. “Has she been a good girl?” Steve asked, directing his question to Tony, who had stopped working and was simply watching father and daughter.

“The best. So how did your scavenger hunt go?”

“Good. We found the crates; they just need to be unpacked and sorted.”

Tony nodded his head and turned away, busying his hands by running them across the keyboard in front of him, a nervous trait he had-funnily enough-gotten from Howard. “It’s Sunday that Zoey is going to be indoctrinated into the cult of the bigots and homophobes?”

“Tony.” Steve warned and based on the tone of his voice, it was clear Steve’s decision to have Zoey christened was a source of contention between the pair. Tony couldn’t understand the desire to christen Zoey in a faith which condemned Steve for his attraction to men. But for Steve, it was more than that, by christening Zoey in the Church, Steve could provide her with a tangible link to the history of her family.

“Forget I said anything, Cap.” Tony retorted, consciously using the nickname, ‘Cap,’ to let Steve know he had no desire to repeat their discussion again. “Have you picked her godparents?”

“Yes.” Steve stated, “I’ve decided on Bucky and Phil. Although, Phil will be the godfather and Bucky will be the witness.”

“What?” Tony replied, confused by Steve’s statement. Howard had never been big on religion and neither had Maria, besides the standard Christmas and Easter services.

“Only a Catholic can be a godparent and then there’s the issue that there can’t be same-sex godparents. And since Phil was raised Catholic, he’ll be listed in the baptismal registry as her godfather and Bucky as a witness. It doesn’t make any difference to me, both will be her godfathers.” Steve explained, relating the gist of his conversation with Father Matthews. The Father had been very accommodating and understanding of Steve’s situation; even if Steve hadn’t been completely honest with the padre.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Tony spat, angry at Steve for not trusting him to care for Zoey. It was all right for him to babysit; but god forbid he raise Zoey if anything should happen to Steve.

Tucking Zoey closer into the crook of his arm, Steve walked forward and wrapped his free arm around Tony’s waist. “It’s not about a lack of confidence, Tony. The Church doesn’t allow fathers to be named as godparents.” Steve whispered into Tony’s ear then waited for his words to sink into the genius’s brain.

“You mean it?” Tony asked, disbelief lacing his voice before the laughter set in.

Steve pressed a quick kiss to Tony’s grinning mouth and said, “Of course, I do, Tony. You’re her dad in all the ways that count.”

“Not by blood, I’m not.”

“Blood doesn’t matter, Tony.” Steve countered with a pointed look. Leaning down slightly, Steve rested his forehead against Tony’s, looking directly into the billionaire’s eyes. “Bucky’s my brother and our lack of blood ties doesn’t make that any less true. Family is who you make it. The Avengers are my family; but I want you to be Zoey’s other dad and hopefully, one day, my husband.”

Tony’s face softened as he gazed into Steve’s blue eyes and in a choked voice, whispered, “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

“Good.” Steve grinned and kissed Tony again, causing Zoey to squawk at being squished between the two men. “Sounds like this little princess isn’t happy with us. How about we take this somewhere else?”

“Oh! And where do you have in mind, Captain Rogers?” Tony leered with the tilt of his head and a raised eyebrow.

“My room. We could watch a movie and see where it takes us.” Steve suggested and instead of answering, Tony backed away and grabbed Steve’s hand, carefully tugging the blonde from the room and up the stairs.


	4. Epilogue

**“** You bought two cakes?” Tony asked in lieu of a proper greeting to his personal assistant and glorified babysitter, Pepper Potts. “Why?”

The casually dressed redhead rolled her eyes at her employer and friend as she gave his appearance a cursory glance, from his faded Black Sabbath t-shirt and rumpled blue jeans to his obvious bed head. “Do you really need to ask that question?”

“If I’m asking then the answer is obviously yes,” the genius drawled, his eyes wandering across the two birthday cakes on the dining room table.

The smaller of the two was a single layered round cake, about four inches across, frosted in white icing with alternating green and yellow piping along its edges and green piping around a brightly colored number one drawn in yellow. The second was a much bigger and more elaborately decorated two tiered cake. The bottom tier was a twelve inch round cake covered in pink fondant with sporadically placed white candy stars, while the top tier was six inches in diameter and wrapped in green fondant with medium-size black stripes. Each of the cake’s tiers was decorated with one of the witches from the _Wizard of Oz_ in mind. The pink tier had a magic wand sticking out from its top with a pair of ruby red fondant slippers by it, and the top tier was topped with the stripped-socked legs of the Wicked Witch of the East under a black witch’s hat.

“So she can mess the little one up to her heart’s content and we don’t have to contend with baby drool on our cake.” Phil replied for Pepper, who was busy helping Natasha set out all of the food for Zoey’s birthday party.

Tony gave Phil a brief glance before looking back at Pepper. “Oh that’s smart,” He affirmed, earning an exasperated sigh and another eye roll from Pepper. He sometimes thought everyone was a little stupid because they weren’t a genius like him; but on the flip side, Pepper thought he was a little lacking in the common sense area of life, which she blamed on his genius-level intelligence.

Leaning against the dining room table, Tony watched as Clint and Bucky worked on hanging the birthday banner from the ceiling, until a glimpse of black coat caused him to turn his head towards the open doorway. “Who let you in here?” He asked before mental waving his question away and opening his mouth again. “Never mind, don’t care. Get out.”

“Tony, play nice!” Pepper chastised, giving Nick Fury an apologetic look for Tony’s lack of manners. “You act like he’s the devil incarnate.”

“Why else would he be here?” Tony replied while openly glaring at S.H.I.E.L.D’s director.

Pepper could only blink at Tony’s response; it was moments like these when she started questioning her sanity and why she continued to work for the billionaire. “To celebrate Zoey’s birthday,” she answered slowly in the same way you would a small child.

“Lies!” He exclaimed, shifting his eyes towards Fury, “he probably wants to kidnap her for his nefarious reasons.” Fury arched his eyebrow and rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed by the billionaire’s ever expanding paranoia, which seemed to have grown following the birth of Zoey.

“I thought Clint was supposed to be the paranoid one,” Bucky quipped, earning a side eye then a grin from the archer.

“Here I was thinking it was Bruce.” Phil shot back with a quick look towards the physicist, who was currently putting the finishing touches on his gift to the little girl.

Clint grinned and looked at the large Asgardian as he spoke, “Definitely Thor.” The Demigod shrugged his shoulders, not really having a reply for the archer’s remark.

“Given who his brother is, are we surprised?” Natasha pointed out as she pulled her hair into a low ponytail.

“He’s adopted,” Thor told his friends, falling back to his standard excuse when it came to Loki, causing the gathered group to chuckle.

“What are we talking about?” Steve asked a he walked in carrying a rambunctious Zoey, who was dressed in a drop-waist blue and white checkered shirt dress with matching ruffled bloomers and red mary janes on her feet.

The little girl giggled as she reached out with her chubby little hands for Tony, who swiftly swung her from her daddy’s arms and into his own, gazing at the eyes that were so like his own yet not; she had Howard’s eyes just like she had the same wild black hair of his youth. “Happy Birthday, Nosy Zoey.” Tony said as he bumped noses with her, causing the little girl to let out a string of high-pitched giggles.

Bucky made a face at the nickname. Over the last couple of weeks, Tony’s use of nicknames had become increasingly more bizarre as he tried to rhythm words with Zoey’s name. Generally, Bucky didn’t see anything wrong with the use of nicknames; hell… it would be hypocritical if he did. What Bucky didn’t understand was Tony’s need to bestow one upon his goddaughter. And when he had mentioned it to Steve, the blonde had likened it to Tony staking a claim on her and sending a giant metaphorical _fuck you_ to Howard. While he might understand Tony’s issues with Howard, Steve couldn’t say that agreed with Tony’s desire to make Howard a non-factor in Zoey’s life. Regardless of everything that could or would happen, Howard Stark would always be a part of her; he was her father and there was nothing Tony could do to change it, except be her dad.

Spinning in a circle, Tony settled on the floor with Zoey in his lap. “So what’s first, daddy?” Tony questioned, looking up at Steve, who hadn’t moved since entering the room.

The blonde smiled at his partner, amused by his enthusiasm. “Pepper and I were thinking presents first, and then cake.” Steve replied as he moved closer to Tony and Zoey, bending down and pressing a kiss to his daughter’s dark hair. Zoey twisted her head at the outward pressure of the kiss, her eyes seeking out the cause of it before spotting her blonde haired dad and giving him an open mouthed smile, showing him her newest teeth. Steve returned her smile with one of his own, rubbing his index finger along her baby soft cheek.

“Where’s my kiss, daddy?” Tony asked mischievously, earning an eye roll and a quick kiss from his partner. “Thank you, daddy.”

Rolling his eyes at Tony’s cheeky grin, Steve let out an exasperated sigh before turning his focus back towards their friends, who were beginning to settle on the floor in a semicircle around the birthday girl. Fury was the only person who didn’t take a seat on the floor; instead he grabbed the closest chair and placed it behind Natasha and Bucky.

Wrapping his hands around Zoey’s, Tony clapped the girl’s hands together and asked, “Who’s first?”

Each team member looked at the other before Phil decided to be the brave one and slide his gift towards the girl. “Skylar loved this when she was Zoey’s age.” The agent told Steve while Tony helped his daughter unwrap her gift.

“Oh look, Zoey,” Steve exclaimed in an overly cheerful voice, “it’s a toy xylophone. Now, what do we say?” He continued, speaking to her as you would an adult. It was one of his and Tony’s rules when it came to conversing with their daughter: no baby talk. Though she was little, it didn’t mean that she wasn’t capable of understanding the adults in her life.

Zoey giggled as she wiggled her body out of Tony’s lap and toddled over to Phil on wobbly legs to give the S.H.I.E.L.D agent a hug and kiss. Phil gave the little girl a small smile before turning her around and sending her back towards her dads with a light pat on her behind.

“Good girl, Zoey.” Steve said as he watched his daughter walked a couple of steps before falling to her knees and crawling the rest of the way back to Tony, who wrapped his hands around her small body and hoisted her into the air, wiggling her back and forth. Zoey squealed as she made a grab for Tony’s nose, and then giggled when the genius mimicked eating her chubby fingers.

After returning the girl to his lap, Tony glanced at Steve and flicked his eyes towards the assembled group, silently motioning Steve to ask for the next gift. “Bucky?” Steve asked, looking at his friend.

“Tasha helped me pick it out,” Bucky explained as he handed the medium-size box to his best friend. “I wasn’t too sure what to get her; I mean, we thought kicking around a tin can was fun.”

Steve snorted, shaking his head at his friend, even though Bucky’s statement wasn’t a lie. Sometimes the only toys you had to play with were made from recycled materials, especially when you were an orphanage kid. “If she doesn’t like it then Dummy or Butterfingers will. They like to steal her toys when they don’t think Tony is watching.”

“But JARVIS sees and tells all,” Tony quipped. “He’s like the Great and Powerful Oz.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Welcome, JARVIS.” Tony replied, “Now this is kind of cool; bowling with little barn animal shaped pins. I just might have to play this myself.”

“All right, Stark, stop hogging the birthday girl.” Natasha said, holding her hands out to take Zoey before passing her over to Bucky, who took her without comment. “Here you go, Zoey.” She said, setting her gift in front of Bucky. Reaching out, Bucky tore a small corner of the wrapping paper before letting the toddler take over. After a few minutes of fighting, Zoey had most of the box uncovered to reveal a cartoonish orange kitty.

Steve watched as his daughter tilted her head a little at the kitty before turning her attention to Natasha and babbled in baby talk. Natasha smiled her own brand of a smile and answered the girl’s question. “You chase it, Zoey. It’ll help you learn motor skills; it’s what every little assassin needs to learn.”

“Nope, not happening.” Tony scoffed. “My Zoey isn’t learning to be anything but a good little girl, who goes to school and eats her vegetables.”

Pepper blinked at her employer, a little perplexed by this statement. “Is that you or Steve talking?”

“Steve.”

“Sounds about right,” Bucky remarked as he cuddled his goddaughter before handing her off to Natasha to do the same. Steve gave his friend a look that clearly said he wasn’t amused; but he stayed silent, choosing to be content with his makeshift family’s brand of humor.

Once she was finished, Natasha handed Zoey to Thor, who held her while he and Bruce gave her their gifts: a musical aquarium for her crib from Thor (“The Ladies Jane and Darcy helped me pick it out.”) and a plastic tub of small plushie turtles from Bruce (“It’ll help with her fine motor skills as well as color and design requisition.”).

After receiving kisses and hugs from the dark haired child, Thor passed her across the circle to Pepper and Happy. The strawberry blonde bounced the girl lightly on her bent knee before settling her and giving Zoey her gift. “This is from Happy and me.” Pepper explained as she helped Zoey in opening her present, a type of scooter shaped liked a zebra. Zoey jerked her head as though she understood what Pepper was saying then twisted her body, reaching out with both hands towards Clint, who was a little shocked at the child’s actions. While Clint loved the little girl, he tended to steer clear of her, the mere thought of breaking her worried and scared the archer a little.

The first to notice Clint’s slight hesitation was Phil, who quickly took Zoey from Pepper and rested her in his lap. Zoey grunted, put out by not being held by the person she wanted; but started smiling as soon as Clint tickled her cloth covered belly. “I was going to get you a bow and arrow kit; but mean ole Uncle Phil vetoed me.” Clint told the girl, pouting as he spoke. Zoey grinned at the archer and reached out again; this time grabbing hold of his hand and holding tight. Clint returned her grin with one of his own, wrapping his free hand around hers and kissing it. “Ready to open your gift, little girl?”

Phil sighed and watched as his husband assisted his goddaughter in opening the large, brightly colored box. What was inside was anyone’s guess; after the vetoing of a child’s archery kit, Clint had disappeared one Saturday morning and returned a few hours later, refusing to tell Phil what he had gotten for the girl. 

“A trampoline?” Steve remarked as he turned his head a little, getting a better look at the child model plastered across the box.

“Don’t worry, Cap.” Clint said, smiling. “It’s perfectly safe. I read all the reviews I could find and checked for any recalls on it.” Phil shot him a look, which Clint met with a half-shrug. “See... I listen.”

“Thank you, Clint.” Steve replied, holding out his hands for his daughter. Once she was back in her arms, Steve directed his next statement to Fury, who had been patiently watching the entire present opening. “Director Fury?”

“Here,” the dark skinned man grunted as he handed the present to Natasha, who passed it across the semicircle to Tony.

The genius took the package with barely concealed paranoia. The older man might have been a _friend_ of his father’s, but Fury was a spy and Tony tended not to trust spies, with Clint and Natasha being the exception to the rule. “What is it?”

“Tony!”

“What?” Tony asked while doing his best impression of a ‘who? me?’ look.

With a shake of his head, Steve turned to him and said, “Just help her open it. No comments needed.” Tony sent Steve a mock salute before he did as ordered. Fury’s gift turned out to be a learning toy made to resemble a kitchen.

“Way to teach gender stereotypes, Fury.” Tony mocked as soon as he saw the gift.

“Cake time,” Steve called out, stopping their verbal sparring before it could start. Rising to his feet with Zoey in his arms, Steve carried her over to the table, setting her down in her highchair. As Tony continued to glare at Fury, one by one the rest of the birthday goers rose to their feet and followed Steve over to table. “Tony?”

“Coming.” The genius replied as he looked away from Fury and climbed to his feet.

Once everyone was gathered around the birthday girl, Steve lit the giant one candle on Zoey’s yellow and green smash cake. As soon as the wick blazed, the group started to sing a varying musical skilled rendition of ‘Happy Birthday,’ which left some members of the group laughing at how terribly good they sounded together.

“Blow out your candle, sweetie.” Steve coaxed as he leaned in close to her. Zoey jerked her head at the sound of his voice and watched with wide eyes as he mimicked blowing out the candle before twisting her head back towards the mini cake and repeating her daddy’s actions with a bit more drool than was necessarily needed.

Steve barely managed to remove the used candle before Zoey face-planted into the white, yellow, and green icing; earning herself cheers and laughter from the gathered crowd. Grabbing bits of the cake in her hands, Zoey started to feed herself, not bothering to wait for her daddy to help her.

While Steve and Tony enjoyed watching the birthday girl enjoy her cake, Phil carried the adult sized cake over to the table with Pepper bringing the plates and forks. Then, as though it was planned, as soon as she set a plate down in front of Fury his phone began to ring, followed a couple of seconds later by Phil’s. The Avengers glanced at each other silently, pushing their chairs back seemingly in unison, knowing that they were about to be called out.

“Avengers Assemble,” Fury barked and snapped his phone closed while Phil was still on the line with Sitwell, coordinating intel.

Steve glanced at Tony, who rolled his eyes and shrugged, before pressing a kiss to his daughter’s cheek, smearing icing across his mouth and chin. “I love you, baby.”

“You’ve got a little something on your face, Steve.” Tony said, motioning with his finger at the icing on Steve’s chin. “Here let me help,” Tony offered as he leaned over their daughter’s head and pressed his lips to the icing on his partner’s chin before moving to the icing on his lips.

Once he was satisfied that all the icing was gone, Tony stepped away from Steve and laid his own kiss on the crown of Zoey’s head. “Don’t give Uncle Bucky and Aunt Pep too much trouble. Aunt Tasha is scary.”

As the pair stepped away from Zoey, each headed to get their suits, Pepper and Bucky quickly slid into their vacated chairs. They were well versed in this song and dance; when the Avengers were called out, Pepper and Bucky became Zoey’s caregivers, tag teaming the little girl until her daddies got home, or at least that was how it was going to be until Bucky was cleared for duty with S.H.I.E.L.D. Regardless of if or when he was cleared, Bucky was content with the life he shared with the Avengers in their tower; just as he knew Steve was happy with the curveball the super-soldier serum had thrown his way. It had given him the gift of his daughter and later a wonderful partner to share his life with, along with some great friends and teammates.

All in all... the best gift Dr. Erskine could have possibly given to Steve and one Steve would cherish for the rest of his life.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Art for Glory Beyond Mere Biology](https://archiveofourown.org/works/692742) by [sunryder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunryder/pseuds/sunryder)




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